Ref:  5594

One of the best quality Anatolian bridal or marriage trunks you are likely to see, it is in very good overall condition and has a genuine original boat painting to interior of lid which was traditional.

The exterior has decorative and symbolic metalwork in very good state of preservation, if the silhouettes look rather anthropomorphic this is intentional, in the Oriental folk culture there is belief in ‘ghuls’ (giving us the term, ghoul) or ‘gin’ (which gives us ‘genie), these are of malign or benign influence, the figures here represent such natural spirits, or at least are mirrors of them, it is known that bad spirits much as in the popular vampire myths of Eastern Europe, fear metal or mirror work, so the metal banding with it’s suggestive forms here repels evil influence by imitating it and capturing it, it is a form of protective magic, throughout old European folk culture and further East there is belief that natural spirits can take possession of individuals and trunks that contain very personal items of clothing and jewellery are to be afforded protection.

The interior is in a different and more romantic spirit. Brides were often matched to cousins & related families along the coast of Anatolia & Turkey & it was common for marriage boxes to be decorated with boats & flowers, there are many copies of these paintings added to boxes later, but this is a very good original example. Cedar wood and fragrant, no worm.

Anatolia      19th cent

H: 58cm (22.8in)
W: 100cm (39.4in)
D: 54cm (21.3in)

SOLD