Oliver Cornish
Sale Coordinator for Furniture, Sculpture, Rugs & Tapestries
Lot 5TP
A Commonwealth period or Charles II bone and ebony inlaid walnut coffer 1655-1670
3 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£1,000 - £1,500
Ask about this lot
Thomas Moore
Head of Department
A Commonwealth period or Charles II bone and ebony inlaid walnut coffer
1655-1670
Of panelled construction, the hinged lid above a chevron inlaid frieze interspersed by four triple scrolled corbel headed angles, over two geometric and re-entrant moulded panels each centred with a fielded moulded panel inlaid with a chequered star motif, flanking a central perspectival archway inset with sun burst stringing and a chessboard 'floor' within a fielded panel surround, interspersed by four twin ring turned engaged columns, on a later plinth moulded base and square section stiles, 170cm wide x 66.5cm deep x 78.5cm high, (66 1/2in wide x 26in deep x 30 1/2in high)
Of panelled construction, the hinged lid above a chevron inlaid frieze interspersed by four triple scrolled corbel headed angles, over two geometric and re-entrant moulded panels each centred with a fielded moulded panel inlaid with a chequered star motif, flanking a central perspectival archway inset with sun burst stringing and a chessboard 'floor' within a fielded panel surround, interspersed by four twin ring turned engaged columns, on a later plinth moulded base and square section stiles, 170cm wide x 66.5cm deep x 78.5cm high, (66 1/2in wide x 26in deep x 30 1/2in high)
Footnotes
Three chests (or coffers) of related type and configuration to the present lot are illustrated in P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The History of English Furniture, Vol. II, 2000 ed., New York, fig.'s 1, 32 & 35, pp.'s 17, 18 and 27. They are dated therein to the period 1650-1660. Two of these examples also incorporate similar bone inlay to that appearing on the offered model. Further related contemporary chests of drawers, albeit of larger size and more vertical form, include two also featuring in the Dictionary, Ibid, fig.'s 3 & 4, p. 28.
In addition to this, two related Charles II bone inlaid pieces sold Christie's; firstly a coffer, New York, 4 June 2003, The House Sale, lot 536; and a chest, London, 8 October 2013, Interiors, lot 191.