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Red and Blue Shepherd's Dowry with Scroll Carving
Ref: 1736
A terrific example of what are sometimes called Wallachian or Shepherd′s Chests or in other parts Sarcophagus Chests or in the British Isles "arcs". The tradition of making these chests goes back centuries if not millenia and their form gave rise to or inspired the Classical stone sarcophagi. The barn is often the after life of much country furniture and ethnographers often classify these as ′corn bins′. Some may have been made for such use but the finer decorated and carved were like this one dowry chests, in some cases the shepherd and his bride would sit astride the chest in the marriage ceremony and the jewellery and bridal finery would be kept in the chest later often at the end of their bed. This is a really clean example with original paint work intact and made of hewn planks of beech wood.
Carpathian Highlands 19th cent.
H: 76cm (29.9in)
W: 106cm (41.7in)
D: 59cm (23.2in)
SOLD
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