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ID #SA1101077
FOR SALE
£785
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A 19thc Zanzibar Chest
For sale by The Antique Partnership
for sale €918     $997
£785
The Antique Partnership

The Antique Partnership

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jan 2012
Browse dealers 73 items
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Id #SA1101077
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A 19thc Zanzibar Chest

19th century
Description

A 19thC Zanzibar chest with SECRET compartment. Profuse brass studwork and wide pierced decorative banding of typical form. A striking piece having good patina and age related verdigris. Showing signs of its age and use over the years. Losses to the decoration and studs which we believe is RED BRASS having a high proportion of copper content. This gives it a slight copper lustre. Huge pierced brass lock hasp to the front. Three lower drawers with similar decoration all having original handles. The lift up lid with its decorative hinges reveals a clean interior with a candle box to the right. The candle box has a concealed compartment accessed via its slide out base.

The heavy solid teak structure has iron side lifting handles to either side.

An ideal coffee table size. ........97 cm wide 43 cm deep and 44.5 cm high.

OVERSEAS buyers please ask for shipping costs before purchase

Physical Dimensions
Height
44.5cm (17.52")
Width
97cm (38.19")
Depth
43cm (16.93")
Declaration

The Antique Partnership has dated this Antique Zanzibar Brass Chest to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1101077
Dealers Internal Reference
28004
Dealers Notes

Please telephone or email for further photos or information which will be promptly provided.

All items shipped will be expertly packed to avoid damage during transit.

For large items please ALWAYS contact us before purchase to discuss delivery options and charges.

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Description
A 19thC Zanzibar chest with SECRET compartment. Profuse brass studwork and wide pierced decorative banding of typical form. A striking piece having good patina and age related verdigris. Showing signs of its age and use over the years.
“
Losses to the decoration and studs which we believe is RED BRASS having a high proportion of copper content.
The Antique Partnership

This gives it a slight copper lustre. Huge pierced brass lock hasp to the front. Three lower drawers with similar decoration all having original handles. The lift up lid with its decorative hinges reveals a clean interior with a candle box to the right. The candle box has a concealed compartment accessed via its slide out base.

fig 1. A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles.
fig 1. A 19thc Zanzibar Chest

The heavy solid teak structure has iron side lifting handles to either side.

An ideal coffee table size. ........97 cm wide 43 cm deep and 44.5 cm high.

OVERSEAS buyers please ask for shipping costs before purchase

Height
44.5cm (17.52")
Width
97cm (38.19")
Depth
43cm (16.93")
Date of Manufacture

The Antique Partnership has dated this Antique Zanzibar Brass Chest to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1101077
Dealers Internal Ref
28004
The Antique Partnership
The Antique Partnership
Sellingantiques verified Since Jan 2012
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the The Antique Partnership Profile Page

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A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles.
1 / 14
Archive I A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles.

A 19thc Zanzibar Chest

Archive II A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View II
Archive III A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View III
Archive IV Scale Reference for A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles.
Archive V A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View V
Archive VI A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View VI
Archive VII A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View VII
Archive VIII A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View VIII
Archive IX A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View IX
Archive X A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View X
Archive XI A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View XI
Archive XII A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View XII
Archive XIII A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View XIII
Archive XIV A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles. View XIV
Enlarged Archival View
The Antique Partnership

The Antique Partnership
Telephone 01379 898 098
Location
Norfolk
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/antiquepartnership
Verified Since Jan 2012
Items For Sale 73
Items Sold 1,019
The Antique Partnership
The Antique Partnership
Verified Since Jan 2012
View Dealer Info
Location: Norfolk, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/antiquepartnership
Verified
Jan 2012
For Sale
73
Sold
1,019
A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles.
A 19thC Zanzibar chest
Ref: SA1101077
A nineteenth-century wooden Zanzibar storage chest decorated with intricate brass studs, pierced metal plates, three lower drawers, and brass handles.
Detail View 1
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Scale Reference
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectTrunks & Coffers
  • Period19th century
  • StyleAnglo-Indian
  • MaterialHardwood, Brass, Copper
  • ColourWarm Brown
  • MotifsBrass studs, Pierced brass overlay, Three lower drawers, Heavy brass latch
  • SizeH 44.5 cm (18 in) x W 97 cm (38 in) x D 43 cm (17 in)

This nineteenth-century Zanzibar chest belongs to the Anglo-Indian style group and uses heavy solid teak, red brass, and copper materials in a warm brown colour scheme. The visual examination reveals rectangular wooden boards, brass handles shaped as drop pulls on the three lower drawers, and a large decorative pierced brass latch plate on the front, alongside aged verdigris on the metalwork, losses to the brass studs, and surface marks from historical wear. The exterior surface displays profuse brass studwork, pierced decorative banding, and circular boss motifs. The furniture measures 44.5 cm high, 97 cm wide, and 43 cm deep. Practical home placement includes serving as a coffee table in a gentleman's library or a living room setting, where the lift-up lid provides top storage access alongside the three bottom drawers for smaller items. The interior houses a candle box with a concealed compartment accessed through a slide-out base, plus a secret compartment structure. Iron side lifting handles assist with positioning the piece within a room. The dense construction relies on solid teak timber throughout the body panels.

FAQs

A Zanzibar chest is a traditional storage coffer originating from trade routes between the Arabian Peninsula, India, and the East African coast. Historically used on dhows and in merchant homes, these trunks were constructed to store spices, textiles, and personal valuables securely.

These chests are typically built using durable hardwoods such as teak, rosewood, or camphorwood. They feature extensive brass studding applied in geometric patterns, pierced metal brass or copper sheets, iron carrying handles, and heavy external brass catches.

Authentic 19th-century examples feature hand-hammered brass studs, hand-carved pierced brass overlays, traditional dovetail or pegged joinery, integrated lower drawers, and natural oxidisation across the metalwork and exposed timber.

Due to their solid proportions and low profile, these chests are commonly used as central coffee tables in living areas, decorative storage at the foot of a bed, or statement placement furniture in wide entry halls.

Dust regularly using a dry microfibre cloth. Apply a high-grade clear beeswax to the timber parts to preserve moisture, avoiding abrasive metal cleaners that strip the historical patina from the brass studs and plates.
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