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ID #SA1137062
FOR SALE
£1,280
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18th Century Carved Oak Mule Chest
For sale by Martlesham Antiques
for sale €1,498     $1,626
£1,280

Martlesham Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jan 2008
Browse dealers 280 items
  • Trade Associations
    Martlesham Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA 
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Id #SA1137062
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18th Century Carved Oak Mule Chest

18th century
Description

A fabulous quality early 18th Century carved oak mule chest, having a four panel hinged top opens to reveal a large compartment space, the front of the chest having wonderful intricate and highly decorative carving with a single frieze drawer at the bottom, panelled sides and supported on block feet. Circa 1740.

46 1/4" x 23" x 31" high

118cms x 59cms x 79cms high

Date of Manufacture

Martlesham Antiques has dated this Carved Oak Mule Chest to the 18th Century.

Independent Date Check ID 08959434
Dealer's Item Date18th Century
Sellingantiques Date18th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 275-340 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 18TH CENTURY:
Pegged mortise and tenon frame joints: joined cabinet work before modern fixings.
Wrought-iron strap hinges on the lid: hand-forged early ironwork.
Shrinkage around the panel grooves: natural seasoning movement across many decades.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Physical Dimensions
Height
79cm (31.10")
Width
118cm (46.46")
Depth
59cm (23.23")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1137062
Dealers Internal Reference
3750
Dealers Notes

Free shipping within mainland UK

We ship worldwide, please email for a shipping quote.

Martlesham Antiques is a family run business and has been trading since 1984. Located in Suffolk just outside Woodbridge, Martlesham Antiques is run from a spacious thatched cottage housing nine large showrooms with a vast adjacent car park.

Specialising in 18th and 19th Century furniture, together with creating custom hand-made furniture which is supplied to various interior designers, trade and the retail market. Every piece on the showroom floor is in excellent condition and ready to go straight into the buyers home or premises.

All of Martlesham Antiques furniture is hand polished by their own French polishers and restorers to a very high standard. We are also a member of LAPADA, the association of art and antiques.

Description
A fabulous quality early 18th Century carved oak mule chest, having a four panel hinged top opens to reveal a large compartment space, the front of the chest having wonderful intricate and highly decorative carving with a single frieze drawer at the bottom, panelled sides and supported on block feet. Circa 1740.

46 1/4" x 23" x 31" high

118cms x 59cms x 79cms high

Date of Manufacture

Martlesham Antiques has dated this Carved Oak Mule Chest to the 18th Century.

Independent Date Report ID 08959434
Dealer's Item Date18th Century
Sellingantiques dating18th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem 275-340 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 18th Century:
Pegged mortise and tenon frame joints: joined cabinet work before modern fixings.
Wrought-iron strap hinges on the lid: hand-forged early ironwork.
Shrinkage around the panel grooves: natural seasoning movement across many decades.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
79cm (31.10")
Width
118cm (46.46")
Depth
59cm (23.23")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1137062
Dealers Internal Ref
3750
Martlesham Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Jan 2008
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Martlesham Antiques Profile Page

Trade Associations

Martlesham Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA 

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An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer.
1 / 11
Archive I An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer.

18th Century Carved Oak Mule Chest

Archive II An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View II
Archive III An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View III
Archive IV An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View IV
Archive V An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View V
Archive VI An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View VI
Archive VII An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View VII
Archive VIII An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View VIII
Archive IX An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View IX
Archive X An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View X
Archive XI An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer. View XI
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Martlesham Antiques
Telephone 01394 386732
Location
The Thatched Roadhouse
Main Rd
Martlesham
Suffolk
IP12 4RJ
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/martlesham
Verified Since Jan 2008
Items For Sale 280
Items Sold 2,225
Martlesham Antiques
Verified Since Jan 2008
View Dealer Info
Location: The Thatched Roadhouse, Main Rd, Martlesham, Suffolk, IP12 4RJ, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/martlesham
Verified
Jan 2008
For Sale
280
Sold
2,225
An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer.
18th Century carved oak mule chest
Ref: SA1137062
An 18th-century dark carved oak mule chest featuring intricate geometric panel carvings, a central iron lockplate, and a single lower drawer.
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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectChests & Coffers
  • Period18th century
  • Style18th Century British
  • MaterialOak, Iron
  • ColourDark Brown
  • MotifsGuilloche carving, Lunette carving, Iron lockplate, Panelled front
  • SizeH 79 cm (31 in) x W 118 cm (46 in) x D 59 cm (23 in)

This early 18th Century British mule chest is made from dark brown oak with iron hardware. The dark wood tone complements the complex hand-carved ornamentation that covers the piece. The front showcases an upper row of interlocking scrollwork guilloche patterns above two deeply carved lunette panels, divided by a central vertical stile with leaf motifs and a central iron lockplate. A single long frieze drawer at the bottom runs the full width, detailed with a repeated guilloche carved band, and the entire structure rests on simple block feet. Panel construction defines the sides and the hinged top. Practical storage capacity is provided by the internal compartment and the lower drawer, making this piece suitable as an accent storage trunk at the foot of a bed or beneath a window in a hallway. The chest measures 79 cm high, 118 cm wide, and 59 cm deep.

FAQs

A mule chest is a traditional wooden storage chest featuring a hinged top lid alongside one or more drawers at the base. Originating in the late 17th century, the bottom drawer was typically used to store slippers or indoor shoes, colloquially referred to as mules.

These chests were constructed primarily from solid oak, joined using mortise and tenon joints secured with wooden pegs. Carved decorative panelwork, wrought iron hardware, and hand-chiseled geometric or floral motifs were standard construction features.

Authentic period examples demonstrate hand-planed surfaces, peg joinery, and natural wear around the feet and hinges. Internal surfaces often show irregular hand-saw marks, and original iron lockplates typically exhibit oxidisation consistent with age.

An antique oak chest serves effectively as a hallway bench, entryway storage, or a focal piece at the foot of a bed. Positioning the timber piece alongside contemporary light textiles creates a balanced contrast between historical craft and modern simplicity.

Dust the timber regularly with a soft, dry cloth and apply a clear beeswax polish annually to maintain the surface patina. Keep the piece away from direct heat sources and extreme humidity fluctuations to prevent wood movement or splitting.
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