Rare survivor. English Medieval Oak Chest
25th September 2025-
A rare and historically important English medieval oak chest dating from c. 1480, carved with mythical beasts
-
Carved with mythical beasts including serpents, dragons, and a ‘Lincoln Imp’.
-
Elizabeth I oak tester bed from Godolphin House, Helston in Cornwall
-
Elizabeth I oak court cupboard, c. 1580
A rare and historically important English medieval oak chest dating from c. 1480 will be offered for sale in our upcoming Furniture, Works of Art & Clocks and Age of Oak sale on 1st & 2nd October. The exceptional chest (lot 924), attributed to Lincolnshire or possibly Northamptonshire, represents a significant survival of late medieval domestic furniture, with few comparable examples ever reaching the open market.
Furniture specialist Mark Yuan Richards said, “This remarkable chest is a survivor of the Reformation, the Civil War and two World Wars.”
The front of the chest is richly carved with three registers of mythical beasts including serpents, dragons, and a ‘Lincoln Imp’. The tiered bands of decoration on this chest bear a resemblance to a select group of 15th century chests which originated around Lincoln, with examples surviving in the churches of Glentham, Fillingham and Ewerby. The piece also boasts a distinguished provenance, having formerly resided at Farleigh Castle, Somerset, ancestral home of the Hungerford family from 1377 and later at Abbey Church House, an Elizabethan mansion in Bath.
Very little 14th or 15th century English furniture survives, especially outside of ecclesiastical collections. Of the few chests from this period that do surface, extensive repairs and alterations are nearly always present due to the passage of centuries.
Measuring 153cm wide, 62cm high, and 51cm deep, the chest features original iron carry handles, sledge-type feet, and internal evidence of two former tills. The pre-sale estimate is £8,000–£12,000 (before auction fees).
Elsewhere in the sale is a magnificent Elizabeth I oak tester bed from Godolphin House, Helston in Cornwall (lot 914) with excellent condition, colour and finish, making this by far the most original to be offered at auction in recent years. The bed carries a pre-sale estimate of £20,000-£30,000 (before fees). Lot 977, is a rare and well documented Elizabeth I oak court cupboard, c. 1580, that has been illustrated in ‘Connoisseurs Complete Guide to Antique English Furniture’ (1961) and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, vol. II. The sale estimate is £8,000-£12,000 (before auction fees).
Browse the catalogue. Register to bid. Watch the sale live.
