Help keep your home tidy and stylish with vintage and antique storage chests at auction
24 June 2020 While the country was in lockdown you may have done quite a bit of spring cleaning. But this may have led to the discovery of items that you don’t have space for. Why not buy a stylish storage or blanket chest that will look great and keep items tidy?
A walnut chest or coffer estimated at £500-800 at Dreweatts on July 7.
Antique wooden chests with two drawers in their base are often referred to as mule chests: ‘mule’ meaning a hybrid of two pieces of furniture and they mark the first step toward what became chest of drawers and later tallboys.
Another word used for some antique chests is coffers. A coffer usually refers to something that would have held expensive valuables while a chest is used to store more everyday items.
Blanket and mule chests come up for auction regularly across the UK at a variety of price levels depending on age and condition and here is a selection on offer at auctions online in July.
1. 18th century oak chest on extended feet
An 18th century oak chest with a £60-80 estimate at Bourne End Auction Rooms on July 1.
An 18th century oak chest with a panelled, hinged top, sides and front with an iron catch, on extended stile feet. The 3ft 1in (96.5in) wide chest is offered with a £60-80 estimate at Bourne End Auction Rooms on July 1. View and bid for this oak chest via thesaleroom.com.
2. 18th century oak chest
An 18th century oak chest offered at Swan Fine Art on July 2 with an estimate of £300-400.
This 18th century oak chest has a panelled top and front with three drawers, supported on bracket feet. The c.1780 4ft 6in (1.4m) wide is offered at Swan Fine Art on July 2 with an estimate of £300-400. View and bid for this oak chest via thesaleroom.com.
3. Walnut chest
A walnut chest or coffer estimated at £500-800 at Dreweatts on July 7.
This Northern European walnut chest or coffer is much older than the examples above. It dates to the late 16th/early 17th century, and it is carved with elaborate decoration making it very desirable. The 5ft 9in (1.8m) wide coffer carries an estimate of £500-800 at Dreweatts on July 7. View and bid for this walnut chest via thesaleroom.com.
4. Oak chest
An 18th century oak mule chest estimated at £100-150 at Diamond Mills on July 22.
At a more affordable level is this 18th century oak mule chest which is estimated at £100-150 at Diamond Mills on July 22. The 3ft 9in (1.2m) hinged top chest has a three panelled front with two drawers on stile legs. View and bid for this oak chest via thesaleroom.com.
Read more about furniture with our furniture guide and Antiques Trade Gazette’s antique furniture guide.
