Summary:
• Item: Blanket Box with Drawers
• Provenance England, UK
• Period: George II
• Circa: 1760
• Wood: Solid Oak
• Used for storing bedding & clothes
• Twin plank moulded top
• Three fielded front panels
• Two lower cross banded hand dovetailed drawers
• Internal candle box & lid
• Peg construction
• Original steel butterfly hinges
• Original working lock (with key)
• Old replacement escutcheon to lid
• Original brass swan neck handles & escutcheons to drawers
• Original top, sides, back & bottom
• Original polish and patination
• Stunning colour & patination
• Free delivery to mainland England, Wales & southern Scotland*
• Free 14-day returns policy
Description:
Here is a good quality antique English Georgian oak mule chest / blanket box with drawers, circa 1760, in good condition, with sought after proportions, displaying a stunning colour & patination. This chest features a two-plank moulded hinged top, with triple squared fielded panels to the front, and two drawers below. The drawers feature cock beaded fronts with mahogany cross banding, boasting the original period brass swan neck handles and escutcheons, constructed with hand dovetail joints. The brass key escutcheon below the lid is an old replacement (most likely Victorian). The hinged top features the original steel butterfly hinges. The interior is clean, dry and the coffer is practical and usable. The chest retains its original candle box, with a hinged oak lid, to the left-hand side. The chest also boasts its original working locks to the two drawers (with working keys) and a working lock to the main trunk (with working key). Good quality wide twin inset oak side panels adorn the sides of the chest; the back retains the original rough-hewn oak backboards. The drawer linings and bottoms are constructed of pine, as are the wide floorboards in the base of the chest. The chest has been made using the pegged construction method; this is evident around the body of the frame. The chest terminates on block stiles (feet).
A type of furniture like this would have primarily been used for storing bedding and clothes. In the eighteenth century, built-in wardrobes did not exist! A mule chest was often the only item of furniture that a family owned. It is believed that such chests were called “mule chests” because slippers, called mules in the 17th and 18th century, were kept in the drawers of the chest. Blankets and bedding were stored in the larger compartment above.
This blanket box with drawers boasts a rich warm oak colour. As it retains the original polish, it has a fantastic colour and patination; this can only be achieved through age and years of care and cleaning it has received.
This item would look great in a variety of rooms from the hallway, to the living room or bedroom, not only as an ornamental piece but also a useful storage chest.
Condition Report:
This Georgian oak mule chest is in good condition. There are nominal old marks to the top, leading edges, tops, sides and front (see photos) but nothing significant considering the age of the item. Such old use marks are inevitable and perfectly acceptable due to its age and use it would have received. The interior is clean, dry, and usable; it also retains the original candle box (with lid). The steel butterfly hinges to the lid are original. The brass swan neck handles and escutcheons to the two drawers are all original, likewise are the original working locks (with keys). The brass key escutcheon on the front of the chest, is an old replacement (most likely Victorian). The chest stands on its original stiles (feet). The chest is well constructed, solid in joint and ready to use.
Dimensions:
Height = 70.1cm or 27⅝” or 2ft 3⅝”
Width (Lid) = 127.9cm or 50⅜” or 4ft 2⅜”
Depth (Lid) = 52.4cm or 20⅝” or 1ft 8⅝”
Terms & Conditions:
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Ref. 44554