English Pine Trunk or Blanket Chest

Details

Description

Long before Samsonite, the few who had the means to travel used wooden trunks to transport their belongings from place … Read more Long before Samsonite, the few who had the means to travel used wooden trunks to transport their belongings from place to place and although we call them blanket chests , they carried much more than blankets. Such pieces needed to be sturdy enough to withstand the banging and bumping they would get on a coach or train ride. This trunk is built for the purpose. The top is snug fit, its trim on the front and sides overlapping a corresponding tongue around the top edge of the box, such that it stays closed without being locked. The case has exposed hand-cut dovetails on all four corners. These extend to the base plinth down to the floor and to the trim that surrounds the top. The top lifts on massive iron strap hinges, to reveal a deep storage well inside. There is evidence that once a linen tray sat at the top of the well. Valuables were protected by the three locks placed along the front edge of the box. Of these the middle one is missing and the other two are rendered inoperable for want of keys. The “tongue” mentioned earlier prevents the lock from being manipulated from the outside. Built as solidly as it is, this piece, especially loaded, is way too heavy for one person to lift on the massive iron carrying handles on the sides. But if picked up by the handle on the left side, and tilted toward the back, the bottom right corner has a brass wheel mounted in an iron housing that enables one person to pull the trunk along to its destination. The wear on the right front bottom corner indicates that a tired traveler was unable to maintain the necessary tilt. See less