18th-Century Wooden Baroque Chest
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Form
This 18th-century Baroque wooden chest has a compact cuboidal form with a broad, flat top.
The body is articulated by sculpted sides with paired, scrolling corner consoles. It stands on a moulded base.
All four faces feature recessed panels.
Ornamentation
Boldly carved, decorative corner consoles frame each vertical edge. These elongated, S-profiled elements project strongly and terminate in tightly carved spiral scrolls (volutes), while their upper sections form curved brackets beneath the overhanging top.
Shaped mouldings frame the recessed panels.
The front features a keyhole within an ornamental metal cartouche.
Metal side grips allow the chest to be carried.
Possible Use
Such chests were versatile household furnishings, used for storing clothing, textiles, valuables, or goods, and could also serve as travelling chests.
In rural Carinthia, they often formed part of dowry furniture, symbolising household wealth and security.
