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Mexican chest from the viceregal era, at the Franz Mayer Museum

A chest (also called coffer or kist) is a form of furniture typically of a rectangular structure with four walls and a removable or hinged lid, used for storage, usually of personal items. The interior space may be subdivided.

History

The Ancient Egyptians created the first known chests, using wood or woven reeds, circa 3000 BC.^[1]

The early uses of an antique chest or coffer included storage of fine cloth, weapons, foods and valuable items.^[2]

In Medieval and early Renaissance times in Europe, low chests were often used as benches while taller chests were used as side tables. By placing a chest on the side on any kind of rough table, the inner surface of its lid could be used as a proper writing surface while the interior could house writing implements and related materials, as was the case with the Bargueño desk of Spain. Many early portable desks were stacked chests, with the top one having its lid on the side, to serve as a writing surface when opened.^{[citation needed]}

Many European chests did use the standard band of iron over the lid and the body of the chest to close it or lock it. There were a few different styles of the chest like square box or domed lid chests, which were so different that there was no effective way to categorize them.^[3] The lid shape of domed chests, such as those in the 15th to 16th centuries, would have thrown off water and discouraged their use as seats and thus contributed to longer survival.^{[citation needed]}

Description

A chest is a (usually rectangular) box with a removable or hinged lid that can safeguard personal items. Some chests are equipped with locking mechanisms or a metal band that a lock can be secured on.^{[citation needed]} According to Webster's Dictionary (1988), a chest is "a box with a lid and often, a lock, for storing or shipping things" or as "a cabinet as for holding medical supplies, toiletries, etc.".^[2]

Chests designed for linens or other soft objects would have a very smooth or sanded interior, and chests made for heavy equipment or weapons would have a coarser interior.^{[citation needed]}

Chests were used primarily as a storage unit in the past, whereas today they are also used as decorative furniture^[4] or for seating.

Types and terminology

Other words for a chest include:

coffer, a term used from Medieval times onwards for a storage box, often with a rounded top and covered with leather,^[6] and now often implying a use for storing money or other valuable objects^[7]
kist, a word that dates back to 14th century Scotland, derived from Old Norse kista, whereas "chest" derives from Old English cest^[8]

A cassone is a kind of carved or painted chest associated with late Medieval and Renaissance Italy. Cassones, also called marriage chests or hope chests, were often used to carry the dowry goods in a marriage ceremony.^[9]

A simple chest, called a wakis ("wagon-kist") was commonly used in the Dutch Cape Colony (now part of South Africa) as a seat on a wagon.^[10] To make it more usable, it often had a wooden support along the centre of the top so that the seated driver would not slide off so easily. In addition to this use, they were also used for storage at home; keeping clothes, food and other commodities safe. They were frequently made with one or more sides sloping downwards, although the top was always horizontal. Many are made of sturdy woods such as yellowwood and therefore last a long time. Some manufacturers also painted the front of the kist with relatively simply designs reminiscent of, and presumably originating from Europe.

In some Slavic countries, for example, in Ukraine and Serbia, chests were a family relic, especially in peasant families. Each Ukrainian girl received her own chest at the age of 15 for her future bride's dowry. Peeping in the girl's chest was considered impolite. Coffers were an indicator of a family's wealth. Ukrainian girls and women also used them to keep their garments and some personal items – towels, jewelry, tools for embroidering etc. A big collection of Ukrainian traditional chests dated by the 18–20th cc. is kept in the Radomysl Castle (Zhytomyr Region, Ukraine).^{[citation needed]}

In many Arab countries, chests are used to hold ship captain's personal possessions, such as the Kuwaiti chest. Today, many Middle Eastern furniture chests are known by place names, such as Omani or Bahraini, but this most often refers to where they were purchased rather than where they were made. Others are used to hold linens and household goods collected by girls in preparation for their eventual marriage, and often called a hope chest. In Arabic, two terms are used for the dowry chest: The muqaddimah^[11] was specifically for the bride's personal possessions; and the "sunduq", which normally came in matching pairs, were for other goods.^[12]

In fantasy, fables, and games, treasure chests are frequently used as a plot device to contain treasure such as gold or jewels.

A toy chest is a type of chest that usually carries children's toys, like dolls or building blocks.

In popular fiction

In the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, a sentient chest on legs called The Luggage is owned by the first tourist, Twoflower.^[13]

References

^ Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things. Reader's Digest. 27 November 2009. p. 12. ISBN 978-0276445699.
^ ^a ^b Nuefeldt, V., Editor in Chief. (1988) Webster's New World Dictionary. Publisher: Simon and Schuster, Inc.
^ Pickvance, C. (2007) Medieval tracery-carved clamp-fronted chests: the ‘Kentish Gothic’ chests of Rainham, Faversham and Canterbury in comparative perspective.
^ LaChiusa, C (2005). Chest-On-Chest.
^ "Chest (petaca)". Metropolitan Museum of Art website.
^ "coffer - furniture". Encyclopedia Britannica. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^ "Coffer definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^ "Kist". Scots Language Centre. 27 November 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^ "Cassone ca. 1425–50". The Met.
^ "The Cape-wagon – form follows function". Graham Leslie McCallum. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
^ The "muqaddimah" means "first", and possibly refers to the fact that it was carried by the lead donkey in the traditional bridal procession to the groom's home.
^ "The Art of the Dowry Chest." by Caroline Stone. Aramco World. Volume 66, (8). November–December 2015. [ISSN]: 1530-5821. Pages 24-29.
^ Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

External links

Media related to Chests at Wikimedia Commons

[1] Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things. Reader's Digest. 27 November 2009. p. 12. ISBN 978-0276445699.

[neufeldt-2] Nuefeldt, V., Editor in Chief. (1988) Webster's New World Dictionary. Publisher: Simon and Schuster, Inc.

[3] Pickvance, C. (2007) Medieval tracery-carved clamp-fronted chests: the ‘Kentish Gothic’ chests of Rainham, Faversham and Canterbury in comparative perspective.

[4] LaChiusa, C (2005). Chest-On-Chest.

[5] "Chest (petaca)". Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

[6] "coffer - furniture". Encyclopedia Britannica. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2022.

[7] "Coffer definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 4 February 2022.

[Scots_Language_Centre_2006-8] "Kist". Scots Language Centre. 27 November 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2022.

[9] "Cassone ca. 1425–50". The Met.

[10] "The Cape-wagon – form follows function". Graham Leslie McCallum. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2022.

[11] The "muqaddimah" means "first", and possibly refers to the fact that it was carried by the lead donkey in the traditional bridal procession to the groom's home.

[12] "The Art of the Dowry Chest." by Caroline Stone. Aramco World. Volume 66, (8). November–December 2015. [ISSN]: 1530-5821. Pages 24-29.

[13] Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Type of furniture}}
-{{Other uses|Coffer}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
-{{refimprove|date=April 2019}}
+{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
-[[File:ColonialEraChestMayer.jpg|thumb|Mexican chest from the [[New Spain|viceregal era]], at the [[Franz Mayer Museum]].]]
+[[File:ColonialEraChestMayer.jpg|thumb|Mexican chest from the [[New Spain|viceregal era]], at the [[Franz Mayer Museum]]]]
-A '''chest''' (also called '''coffer''' or '''kist''') is a form of [[furniture]] typically of a rectangular structure with four walls and a removable lid, for storage. The interior space may be subdivided. The early uses of an [[antique furniture|antique]] chest or coffer included storage of fine cloth, [[weapon]]s, foods and valuable items. It is a box with a hinged lid that can safeguard your personal items. Some chests are equipped with locking mechanisms or a metal band that a lock can be secured on. In Webster’s Dictionary 1988 version, a chest is defined as a “a box with a lid and often, a lock, for storing or shipping things” or as “a cabinet as for holding medical supplies, toiletries, etc.”<ref>Nuefeldt, V., Editor in Chief. (1988) ''Webster’s New World Dictionary.'' Location of
+A '''chest''' (also called '''coffer''' or '''kist''') is a form of [[furniture]] typically of a rectangular structure with four walls and a removable or hinged lid, used for storage, usually of personal items. The interior space may be subdivided.
+== History ==
-Publisher: Simon and Schuster, Inc.</ref>
+[[File:Fine old German chest (25123211445).jpg|thumb|German chest with metal band and locking mechanism, c. 1847]]
+[[File:Père-Lachaise - Division 45 - Aguado 01.jpg|thumb|External tomb chest of [[Alejandro María Aguado, 1st Marquis of the Guadalquivir Marshes]], at the [[Père-Lachaise Cemetery]] in Paris; made in 1844]]
+The [[Ancient Egypt]]ians created the first known chests, using wood or woven reeds, circa 3000 BC.<ref>{{Cite book|date=27 November 2009|title=Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things|publisher=Reader's Digest|page=12|isbn=978-0276445699}}</ref>
+The early uses of an [[antique furniture|antique]] chest or coffer included storage of fine cloth, [[weapon]]s, foods and valuable items.<ref name=neufeldt/>
-A [[cassone]] is a kind of carved or painted chest associated with late [[Medieval]] and [[Renaissance]] Italy. Cassones, also called [[cassone|marriage chests]] or [[hope chest]]s, were often used to carry the [[dowry]] goods in a marriage ceremony.
+In [[Medieval]] and early [[Renaissance]] times in Europe, low chests were often used as benches while taller chests were used as side tables. By placing a chest on the side on any kind of rough table, the inner surface of its lid could be used as a proper writing surface while the interior could house writing implements and related materials, as was the case with the [[Bargueño desk]] of Spain. Many early [[portable desk]]s were stacked chests, with the top one having its lid on the side, to serve as a writing surface when opened.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
-A simple chest, called a [[wakis]] (wagon-kist) was commonly used in the [[Cape Colony]] as a seat on a wagon.  To make it more usable, it often had a wooden support along the centre of the top so that the seated driver would not slide off so easily.  In addition to this use, they were also used for storage at home; keeping clothes, food and other commodities safe.  They were frequently made with one or more sides sloping downwards, although the top was always horizontal.  Many are made of very good woods, like [[Afrocarpus|yellowwood]] and survived well.  Some manufacturers also painted the front of the kist with relatively simply designs reminiscent of, and presumably originating from Europe {{illm|bauernmalerei|de}}
+Many European chests did use the standard band of iron over the lid and the body of the chest to close it or lock it. There were a few different styles of the chest like square box or domed lid chests, which were so different that there was no effective way to categorize them.<ref>Pickvance, C. (2007) ''[https://regionalfurnituresociety.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/medieval-tracery-carved-clamp-fronted-chests.pdf Medieval tracery-carved clamp-fronted chests: the ‘Kentish Gothic’ chests of Rainham, Faversham and Canterbury in comparative perspective.]''</ref> The lid shape of domed chests, such as those in the 15th to 16th centuries, would have thrown off water and discouraged their use as seats and thus contributed to longer survival.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
-== History ==
-[[File:Fine old German chest (25123211445).jpg|thumb|European chest with metal band and locking mechanism.]]
-[[File:Père-Lachaise - Division 45 - Aguado 01.jpg|thumb|External tom chest of [[Alejandro María Aguado, 1st Marquis of the Guadalquivir Marshes]] at the [[Père-Lachaise Cemetery]] in Paris.]]
-The [[Ancient Egypt|Ancient Egyptians]] created the first known chests, using wood or woven reeds, circa 3000 BC.<ref>{{Cite book|date=27 November 2009|title=Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things|publisher=Reader's Digest|page=12|isbn=978-0276445699}}</ref>
+==Description ==
-In Medieval and early Renaissance times in Europe low chests were often used as benches while taller chests were used as side tables. By placing a chest on the side on any kind of rough table, the inner surface of its lid could be used as a proper writing surface while the interior could house writing implements and related materials, as was the case with the [[Bargueño desk]] of Spain. Many early [[Portable desk]]s were stacked chests, with the top one having its lid on the side, to serve as a writing surface when opened.
+A chest is a (usually [[rectangular]]) box with a removable or [[hinged]] lid that can safeguard personal items. Some chests are equipped with locking mechanisms or a metal band that a lock can be secured on.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} According to ''[[Webster's Dictionary]]'' (1988), a chest is "a box with a lid and often, a lock, for storing or shipping things" or as "a cabinet as for holding medical supplies, toiletries, etc.".<ref name=neufeldt>Nuefeldt, V., Editor in Chief. (1988) ''Webster's New World Dictionary''. Publisher: Simon and Schuster, Inc.</ref>
+Chests designed for linens or other soft objects would have a very smooth or sanded interior, and chests made for heavy equipment or weapons would have a coarser interior.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
-Many European chests did use the standard band of iron over the lid and the body of the chest to close it or lock it. There were a few different styles of the chest like square box or domed lid chests, which were so different that there wasn’t an effective way to categorize them.<ref>Pickvance, C. (2007) ''MEDIEVAL TRACERY-CARVED CLAMP-FRONTED CHESTS: THE ‘KENTISH GOTHIC’ CHESTS OF RAINHAM, FAVERSHAM AND CANTERBURY IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE.'' Retrieved from: <nowiki>https://regionalfurnituresociety.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/medieval-tracery-carved-clamp-fronted-chests.pdf</nowiki></ref> Each had their own sense of decoration, so each had its own purpose. Domed chests with their lid shape would have thrown off water and discouraged their use as seats. This use of the chests in the 15<sup href="File:19th century chest.JPG">th</sup> to 16<sup resource="File:19th century chest.JPG" height width>th</sup> centuries made the chest have a longer life due to the conditions the chest avoided, such as water or using them as seats.
+Chests were used primarily as a storage unit in the past, whereas today they are also used as decorative furniture<ref>LaChiusa, C (2005). ''[http://buffaloah.com/f/glos/c/cheston.html Chest-On-Chest]''.</ref> or for seating.
-In fantasy, fables, and games, "[[treasure chest]]s" are frequently used as a plot device to contain [[treasure]] such as gold or jewels. The meaning can be a lot of things. The classical is a reward for a protagonist. In some stories a form of [[MacGuffin]], a literary device which exists solely to drive forward a plot. A "toy chest" is a type of chest that usually carries children's toys, like dolls or building blocks.
-[[File:Chest with bride's dowry (Kosovo & Metohija, Serbia).jpg|thumb|<center>Chest with bride's dowry ([[Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija|Kosovo & Metohija]], [[Serbia]])</center>]]
-In some Slavic countries, for example, in [[Ukraine]] and [[Serbia]], chests were a family relic, especially in peasant families. Each Ukrainian girl received her own chest at the age of 15 for her future bride's dowry. Peeping in the girl's chest was considered impolite. Coffers were an indicator of a family's wealth. Ukrainian girls and women also used them to keep their garments and some personal items – towels, jewelry, tools for embroidering etc. A big collection of Ukrainian traditional chests dated by the 18–20th cc. is kept in the [[Radomysl Castle]] ([[Zhytomyr Oblast|Zhytomyr Region]], Ukraine).
+==Types and terminology==
-In many Arab countries, chests are used to hold ship captain's personal possessions, such as the [[Kuwaiti chest]]. Today, many Middle Eastern furniture chests are known by place names, such as Omani or Bahraini, but this most often refers to where they were purchased rather than where they were made. Others are used to hold linens and household goods collected by girls in preparation for eventual their marriage, and often called a [[hope chest]]. In Arabic, two terms are used for the dowry chest: The muqaddimah<ref>The "muqaddimah" means "first", and possibly refers to the fact that it was carried by the lead donkey in the traditional bridal procession to the groom's home.</ref> was specifically for the bride’s personal possessions; and the "sunduq", which normally came in matching pairs, were for other goods.<ref>[http://www.aramcoworld.com/en-US/Articles/November-2015/The-Art-of-the-Dowry-Chest "The Art of the Dowry Chest."] by Caroline Stone. Aramco World. Volume 66, (8). November–December 2015. [ISSN]: 1530-5821. Pages 24-29.</ref>
+[[File:Chest (petaca) MET DP-15917-001.jpg|thumb|Chest (petaca) from [[New Spain|colonial Mexico]], c. 1772; now in the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Chest (petaca) | website=[[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] website | url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/751902}}</ref>]]
+[[File:Chest MET 23 16 Overall.jpg|thumb|Dower chest, c. 1780, made by immigrants from the Upper Rhine Valley of Germany; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]]]
+Other words for a chest include:
-== Uses ==
+* coffer, a term used from Medieval times onwards for a storage box, often with a rounded top and covered with leather,<ref>{{cite web | title=coffer - furniture | website=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=16 November 2011 | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/coffer-furniture | access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref> and now often implying a use for storing money or other valuable objects<ref>{{cite web | title=Coffer definition and meaning | website=Collins English Dictionary | url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/coffer | access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref>
-Chests designed for linens or other soft objects would have a very smooth or sanded interior, and chests made for heavy equipment or weapons, would have a more coarse interior. Chests back in the day were used primarily as a storage unit rather than just a piece of [[furniture]] similar to those used today.<ref>LaChiusa, C (2005) ''Chest-On-Chest.'' Retrieved from
+* kist, a word that dates back to 14th century Scotland, derived from [[Old Norse]] ''kista'', whereas "chest" derives from [[Old English]] ''cest''<ref name="Scots Language Centre 2006">{{cite web | title=Kist | website=Scots Language Centre | date=27 November 2006 | url=https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/view/id/569 | access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref>
+A [[cassone]] is a kind of carved or painted chest associated with late [[Medieval]] and [[Renaissance]] Italy. Cassones, also called [[cassone|marriage chests]] or [[hope chest]]s, were often used to carry the [[dowry]] goods in a marriage ceremony.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/459250| title= Cassone ca. 1425–50|website=[[Metropolitan Museum of Art|The Met]]}}</ref>
-<nowiki>http://buffaloah.com/f/glos/c/cheston.html</nowiki></ref> The furniture chests today have evolved from one that has been designed to store items for practical use, to one that is used to hold [[family]] trinkets or toys for children or grandchildren. They have also been used for primarily as a decoration and a place that could serve as a seat rather than just a transportation device.
+A simple chest, called a wakis ("wagon-kist") was commonly used in the [[Dutch Cape Colony]] (now part of South Africa) as a seat on a wagon.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Cape-wagon – form follows function | website=Graham Leslie McCallum | date=14 July 2016 | url=https://grahamlesliemccallum.wordpress.com/2016/07/14/the-cape-wagon-function-follows-form/ | access-date=4 February 2022}}</ref>  To make it more usable, it often had a wooden support along the centre of the top so that the seated driver would not slide off so easily.  In addition to this use, they were also used for storage at home; keeping clothes, food and other commodities safe.  They were frequently made with one or more sides sloping downwards, although the top was always horizontal.  Many are made of sturdy woods such as [[Afrocarpus|yellowwood]] and therefore last a long time.  Some manufacturers also painted the front of the kist with relatively simply designs reminiscent of, and presumably originating from Europe.
+[[File:Chest with bride's dowry (Kosovo & Metohija, Serbia).jpg|thumb|{{center|Chest with bride's dowry ([[Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija|Kosovo & Metohija]], [[Serbia]])}}]]
+In some [[Slavic people|Slavic]] countries, for example, in [[Ukraine]] and [[Serbia]], chests were a family relic, especially in peasant families. Each Ukrainian girl received her own chest at the age of 15 for her future bride's dowry. Peeping in the girl's chest was considered impolite. Coffers were an indicator of a family's wealth. Ukrainian girls and women also used them to keep their garments and some personal items – towels, jewelry, tools for embroidering etc. A big collection of Ukrainian traditional chests dated by the 18–20th cc. is kept in the [[Radomysl Castle]] ([[Zhytomyr Oblast|Zhytomyr Region]], Ukraine).{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
+In many Arab countries, chests are used to hold ship captain's personal possessions, such as the [[Kuwaiti chest]]. Today, many Middle Eastern furniture chests are known by place names, such as [[Oman]]i or [[Bahrain]]i, but this most often refers to where they were purchased rather than where they were made. Others are used to hold linens and household goods collected by girls in preparation for their eventual marriage, and often called a [[hope chest]]. In Arabic, two terms are used for the dowry chest: The muqaddimah<ref>The "muqaddimah" means "first", and possibly refers to the fact that it was carried by the lead donkey in the traditional bridal procession to the groom's home.</ref> was specifically for the bride's personal possessions; and the "sunduq", which normally came in matching pairs, were for other goods.<ref>[http://www.aramcoworld.com/en-US/Articles/November-2015/The-Art-of-the-Dowry-Chest "The Art of the Dowry Chest."] by Caroline Stone. Aramco World. Volume 66, (8). November–December 2015. [ISSN]: 1530-5821. Pages 24-29.</ref>
+In fantasy, fables, and games, [[treasure chest]]s are frequently used as a plot device to contain [[treasure]] such as gold or jewels.
+A toy chest is a type of chest that usually carries children's toys, like dolls or building blocks.
 ==In popular fiction ==
-In the ''[[Discworld]]'' series by [[Terry Pratchett]], a sentient chest on legs called [[The Luggage]] is owned by the first tourist, Twoflower.<ref>Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett</ref> Twoflower later gives the Luggage to [[Rincewind]].
+In the ''[[Discworld]]'' series by [[Terry Pratchett]], a sentient chest on legs called [[The Luggage]] is owned by the first tourist, Twoflower.<ref>Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett</ref>
 == See also ==
@@ Line 47: / Line 60: @@
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
+* {{commonscat-inline}}
-{{Commons category|Chests}}
+{{Authority control}}
-* [http://www.arteso.com ARTESO], reproductions of piece of furniture and arts of the Middle Ages
-* [http://www.antiquesworld.co.uk/antique-chest-of-drawers.html antique chest of drawers], Chest of drawers from the Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian periods
-* [http://www.radozamok.com.ua/en/ The Official Site of The Radomysl Castle]
+[[Category:30th-century BC establishments]]
 [[Category:Chests (furniture)| ]]
+[[Category:Portable furniture]]
+[[Category:Egyptian inventions]]