Images(4)

Trunk

Date1780-1830

OriginEngland

MediumDeal, leather, brass, iron, paper, and textile

DimensionsOH: 17 1/2"; OL: 39 1/2"; OD: 18"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1954-244

DescriptionCylindrical trunk with domed lid, hinged at rear, with single iron hasp at center front; top decorated with diamond and star patterns in brass nails; rectangular lower section with front divided into rectangular panels by leather strips and brass nails; sides plain except for wrought iron bail handles; exterior covered all over with original leather fastened with brass nails and braced iron strips at edges; interior lined with paper printed in all over diamond pattern in black, white, and gray on tan ground with white flowers and orange flowers; two pages from a Bible used to patch holes; textile "tape" nailed to inside of lid and side, proper left end.

Deal covered with leather; brass nails; iron mounts; paper liningLabel TextSturdy, lockable trunks were essential goods in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. While trunks share many similarities with chests, these two forms differ in significant ways. Chests are domestic furniture meant to remain in place within a home. Trunks, on the other hand, were used for the transportation and storage of valuable goods. Built to withstand travel hazards, trunks have a more rugged construction due to their intended use as luggage rather than a stationary storage vessel.Mark(s)None