Victorian Campaign Chest

A Victorian mahogany Campaign Chest.

The chest has two short over a deep long drawer to the top half and two long drawers to the bottom half. The drawer edges are cut with a cock beading and the linings are oak with rounded moulding to the interiors. The chest is fitted with gilt brass corners and strap work with those to the boards between the drawers cut to fit accurately. The top right short drawer is fitted with a stronger lock which is stamped VR.

The unusual feature to this chest is the method of fixing the two halves together. It has four thumb bolts to firmly join the two halves. Thumb bolts in themselves are not unknown but typically, if a chest has them, they only have two as opposed to four. The chest also has a two holes to each half for removable locating lugs which are now missing. It is difficult to determine if these holes were an extra 'belt and braces' Victorian feature or were added because the original thumb bolts were lost and it was an easy fix. The bottom holes are not as deep as you would expect.

Some of the drawers have had a fillet of wood added to their front edge to counteract a gap created by wear to the drawer runners. However, they are difficult to notice without close inspection. The removable, turned feet are replaced. The fixing bolts are period replacements.

This is a good 'standard' campaign chest with added interest for its four fixing bolts. Late 19th Century.