CHEST
Name/Title
CHESTDescription
Chest of Admiral Sir George Somers. Chest is Italian (probably Venetian) from the early 17th century. With stand. 34" x 15" x 18" high. Cypress wood of the chest is decorated with intaglio carving and punched ornament, supplemented by penwork. The scene inside the lid of Sir George Somers chest is taken from Greek mythology. It shows Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, surprised by Acteon, a hunter, while bathing with her friends. To punish him for the intrusion, she turns him into a stag, whereupon his own dogs attack and kill him, no longer recognizing him as their master. With an internal 'secret' compartment. Chests of this class were exported to locations all over Europe and are mentioned frequently in English inventories in the 16th and early 17th centuries. They are in various sizes and qualities. A similar chest can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum in LondonCategory
Furniture, Cabinetry and Display Cases