Thursday, August 3, 2017

An Old Armorial Chest


Also in the Burrell Collection was this old armorial chest dating back to the early 14th Century, and what a great way to haul and store your "stuff."


The accompanying sign read:

Painted chest of Richard de Bury
English; early 14th century
Inside the lid of this chest are colourful heraldic shields and fabulous animals. The outside of the chest would have been painted too. It was probably used to carry and store armour, both on the battlefield and at home. 
Oak
The "colourful heraldic shields and fabulous animals" are, from left to right:





With the exception of the third coat of arms (does anyone here not recognize England {though the quarters here are reversed; it is usually seen as Quarterly: 1 and 4, France [here, France ancient]; 2 and 3, England}. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?), I have yet not found a firm attribution for these coats of arms.

You gotta love those critters, though, don't you? The last one, especially, to me is reminiscent of some of the animals and monsters found in the Book of Kells.

You can find a little more information about the chest and its background at http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_276745_en.pdf

All in all, what a great way to haul and store your stuff!

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