Dug-out Coffer possibly a Reliquary Strongbox

Description 

This extremely rare coffer consists of a hollowed-out oak trunk, reinforced with wrought-iron mountings. This exceptional piece is an example of the primitive chest type dating to the Romanesque and early Gothic period, known as ‘dug-out chest’ (Chinnery, 1979, pp. 69-71) or in German as ‘Einbaumtruhe’ (Steiger, 1934; Langer, 2005), which translates to ‘single-tree-chest’. The chest is of rectangular shape, with a four hinged lid, secured by two hasps in the front. The original locks are missing. The top and the rims of the lid, the front and back of the chest are studded with wrought-iron straps in various sizes and shapes. Even though an opening has been made in the lid of the chest, so that it could be used as an offertory box or alms box, it is unlikely that the chest was originally constructed for that purpose. Iron bound offertory boxes are generally shaped vertically and not horizontally. It is almost certain that this chest was originally made as a so-called ‘coffer’ or strongbox. Other examples are known of Medieval coffers that were converted into offertory boxes.

Dug-Out Coffers

The chest formed the most common and fundamental furniture item of Medieval culture (Eames, 1977, p. 109). In the furniture-poor society of the early Middle Ages, chests fulfilled an essential role. The designs of chests were heavily influenced by their intended use. From the Middle Ages and onward, the so-called ‘coffer’ served as a (portable) container for valuables. These wooden boxes were iron-mounted, studded with nails and sometimes fitted with carrying handles. The mounting secured sacred and precious objects or important documents from theft and fire.

The earliest type of coffer consisted of a hollowed-out wooden trunk. Though extremely rare, some examples of this type of primitive furniture can be found in England and Continental Europe. The so-called ‘dug-out chest type’ is regarded as the oldest European furniture design. The technique is still very primitive and no joinery is required. The few surviving examples show that dug-out chests were still being made in the early Middle Ages and possibly even up into the late fifteenth century (Chinnery, 1979, pp. 69-71). Chests constructed in this way are made of large solid blocks of timber and subsequently are very heavy. The dug-out chest type was not intended for transportation but foremost for safekeeping. Since few examples of this type of chest survived it would be speculative to generalize about their decoration (or lack thereof).

Their heavy, legless design seems unsuitable for carving or other decoration, but this is mere supposition. In addition, this type of chest was a utilitarian article that primarily served as a secure storage container, with a secondary display function. As such the ‘strongbox’ variant of the dug-out chest features heavy iron mounting (Chinnery, 1979, ill.2:35, 2:36, 2:37).

The strongbox coffer is usually associated with civic buildings and especially with parish churches, since this type of furniture served as public strongboxes for Medieval communities. Churches were often the only stone buildings in a villages or rural communities and functioned as strongholds in times of distress. Reinforced chests inside the church safeguarded the important parish records and other valuables. The sheer weight of such furniture would make them very difficult to steal or move and the heavy iron mounting protected against plunder.

In the Middle Ages Church and State were not separate cultural domains, but instead closely intertwined. As a result the civic archives were stored in these coffers as well. In England, reinforced coffers are also known as ‘churchwarden's chests’. These chests often had two locks or more, each with a separate key, which were held by different officials such as the vicar or churchwardens. Van Gerwen states that these double locks served a security purpose: by giving the keys to separate individuals, one was not able to open the box without consent of the others (Van Gerwen, 1981, pp. 96-97). In The Netherlands and Flanders this strongbox coffer is known as ‘schepenkist’ or ‘comme’ (which translates to ‘magistrates chest’), referring to this function as medieval municipal archive (Van Overstraeten, 1966, p. 287; Dusar, 1970, p. 221). These coffers usually have multiple locks, or even several compartments: one for the church, one for the civic administration and one for the community (Van Gerwen, 1981, p. 96).

Reliquary Strongbox

Churches also owned reinforced coffers that were used to store valuable liturgical items and relics. Throughout the Middle Ages, relics fulfilled an extremely important role and were regarded very precious objects, both from a material and a religious perspective. Van Os points out that relics were not continuously on display within the church, but only taken out on special religious feasts (Van Os, 2001, p. 84) or in some cases even remained permanently hidden in secure places (p. 104-105). When stored away, the relics were kept in strongboxes. The former Museum Van Gerwen-Lemmens in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, had a 14th century strongbox designed to house relics in its collection (Van Gerwen, 1981, pp. 84-85).

It is possible that this chest was made for the same purpose. The traces of a faint red polychrome on the inside of the cavity support this notion, since the colour red, the symbolic colour of Christian martyrs, is also often found on the insides of reliquaries (Van Vlierden, 2004, p. 74).

Period

The dug-out coffer or strongbox type belongs to the oldest European furniture type. Stylistically this type of furniture dates to the Romanesque or early-Gothic period. Langer roughly dates the ‘Einbaumtruhe’ type to the period 1200-1450 (Langer, 2005). Dendrochronologic research has shown that the earliest known German dug-out chests date back to the 12th century. In the late fifteenth century, the iron bound dug-out coffer had evolved into the monumental late-Gothic ‘Stollentruhe’ chest type, made out of joined wooden panels, mounted with decorative wrought-iron straps.
A similar primitive coffer executed circa 1300 is preserved in Museum Vleeshuis, in Antwerp, Belgium (illustrated in Herck, 1972, pp. 12-13, ill. 1) and another example of a comparable Romanesque coffer can be found in the city hall of Borgloon, Begium (illustrated in Dusar, 1970, p. 221, ill. 209).

Origin

It is most likely that this coffer originates from the German region of Westphalia or Saxony. The first argument to support this claim is that the coffer was found in the surroundings of the German city of Osnabruck. But also stylistically the coffer is related to Westphalian examples. Though much more primitive in form, this coffer preludes the late-Gothic ‘Stollentruhe’ chest type with its multiple iron straps, which was very popular in Northern Europe in the 15th century and mainly stems from the Westphalian region (Kreisel, 1968, pp. 42-45).

Literature

Chinnery, V. (19790. Oak Furniture, Woodbridge, Suffolk, pp. 69-71, ill. 4:1
Dusar, A. (1970). Limburgs kunstbezit. Hasselt, p. 221, ill. 206 and 209
Eames, P. (1977). Furniture in England, France and the Netherlands from the Twelfth to the Fifteenth Century. London, page 109
Gerwen, Ch. & Gerwen, H. (1981). Museum Van Gerwen-Lemmens. Schatkamer van de Kempen. Valkenswaard, pp. 96-97, ill. 49
Herck, J. van (1972). Il Mobile Fiammingo, Milan, pp. 12-13, ill. 1
Kreisel, H. (1968). Die Kunst des Deutschen Mobels, Munich, pp. 42-45
Langer, B. (2005). Appatement. In: Paravicini, W. Höfe und Residenzen im spätmittelalterlichen Reich. Bilder und Begriffe. Jan Thorbecke Verlag
Overstraeten, J. van (1966). Gids voor Vlaanderen. Antwerpen, p. 287
Roe, F. (1920). A History of oak Furniture, London, pl. XLII
Steiger, R. (1934). Das Kastenmöbel von der Einbaumtruhe bis zum Typenschrank. Zürich
Vlierden, M. van, Defour, H.L.M. & Höppener, H.M.E. (2004). Hout- en steensculptuur van Museum Catharijneconvent ca. 1200-1600. Utrecht

Associalted Literature

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Cescinsky, H. & Gribble, E. (1922). Early English Furniture and Woodwork, London, Vol. II, p. 5, ill. 3 and 4
Clifford Smith, H. (1929). Catalogue of English Furniture and Woodwork. London, Vol. I - Gothic and Early Tudor
Kreisel, H. (1968). Die Kunst des Deutschen Möbels. Munich
Lovreglio, A. (2006). Dictionnaire des Mobiliers et des Objets d'art : Du Moyen Age au XXIe siècle. Le Robert
Mercer, E. (1969). Furniture, 700-1700 (A social history of the decorative. arts). New York
Morely, J. (1999). The History of Furniture. Boston, New York, London
Thirion, J. (1999). Le Mobilier du Moyen-Age et de la Renaissance en France. Faton
Tracy, Ch. (1988). English Medieval Furniture and Woodwork. London, pp. 172 -174
Windisch-Graetz, F. (1982). Möbel Europas. Romantik-Gotik. Munich, p. 172, no. 60