1796 Swedish Folk Art Allmoge Painted Chest on Stand

Details

Description

Exceptional Swedish late 18th-century folk art chest on stand, dated
1796 in the original hand-painted script on the front panel. … Read more Exceptional Swedish late 18th-century folk art chest on stand, dated
1796 in the original hand-painted script on the front panel. A rare,
entirely original survivor — every component, including the working
iron lock and its original key, is authentic to the piece.

Design details:
- Dome-top (hvälvlock) form, the signature silhouette of Swedish
allmoge storage chests from Dalarna and Hälsingland traditions
- Hand-painted floral decoration in the kurbits-inspired folk style,
with red and ochre rose motifs over a warm amber ground
- Hand-forged iron straps, bosses, ring-pull handles, and lock plate
- Working iron lock with the original hand-forged key
- Raised on a turned barley-twist legged stand with stretchers,
integral to the original construction
- Front panel dated 1796 with the original owner's initials in
traditional allmoge hand-lettering
- Interior retains the original pine boards with visible hand-forged
nail heads and tool marks

Swedish allmoge (literally "the common people") furniture represents
the peasant craft tradition of 17th-19th century Sweden. Chests like
this one were among the most prized household possessions, typically
commissioned to mark a marriage, inheritance, or other significant
life event — the painted date of 1796 almost certainly commemorates
such a moment. Dome-top chests raised on turned stands are the
scarcer and more elaborate format within the tradition, and complete
examples with working original locks and keys have become
increasingly difficult to find at auction. See less