Antique Rustic Red-Painted Trunk, Central Europe, 1880

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Description

Antique rustic red-painted trunk, of elongated rectangular form and flat hinged lid on forged pin hinges, with block-carved side handles … Read more Antique rustic red-painted trunk, of elongated rectangular form and flat hinged lid on forged pin hinges, with block-carved side handles and a painted number at the front. It originates from central europe, from the second half of the nineteenth century, when polychrome trunks were part of the peasant trousseau and served as marriage chest, transport box and improvised bench in turn.

the painted trunk of folk tradition accompanied central european rural life throughout the nineteenth century. Three functions co-existed in a single piece: keeping linens and household goods, transporting belongings on moves and to fairs, and serving as a seat at the foot of the bed or beside the table. The painted number at the front — here “21 51” or similar — marked lot, parish or family inventory.

it is built in solid pine, with broad boards joined edge-to-edge and reinforced at the four corners with simple nails. The handles are blocks carved from solid stock at each end, integrated into the structure, with no added metal piece. The lid hinges are two flat plates of forged iron nailed to the edge. The finish is red oil polychromy, applied in a single coat over bare wood.

the patina is dense and very honest, with the red paint worn back to expose the yellow wood beneath, marks of use across the body and the numbers in blue and green added in a second hand. Every mark preserves the material trace of its agricultural function — this is not a retroactively decorative object, but a working piece that has reached us intact.

it sits naturally in rustic, wabi-sabi or contemporary eclectic interiors. It works as a bench at the foot of a bed, as a low coffee table in a quietly furnished living room, or as a storage box for blankets and firewood in an entrance, where the worn red paint acts as the only chromatic note of the composition.

details

dimensions: length 108 cm – width 34 cm – height 34 cm
style: central european rustic
materials and techniques: solid pine with forged iron pin hinges; edge-to-edge nailed assembly; carved solid handles; red oil polychromy.
place of origin: central europe
period: second half of the nineteenth century
date of manufacture: circa 1880
condition: good. Original red paint with full wear. Some marks consistent with use. Wear consistent with age and use.


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