DESCRIPTIONA handsome 17th-century joined oak coffer of attractive proportions, richly carved with a traditional lunette frieze above a pair of foliate arcaded panels divided by a central muntin.The rectangular single-plank hinged lid opens to reveal a spacious interior with a lock and working key. The front is finely decorated with deeply carved foliate panels framed beneath a continuous lunette-carved frieze, while the panelled sides and sturdy stile feet demonstrate the robust craftsmanship associated with English country furniture of the seventeenth century.Constructed in solid oak throughout, the coffer displays a wonderful deep colour and well-developed patina acquired over centuries of use. Its generous size makes it equally suited for use as a traditional blanket chest, or as a statement piece in a hallway or period interior.Retaining excellent period character and attractive original carving, this is an honest example of seventeenth-century English furniture wi...