Posted 7 years ago
DBaeten
(1 item)
Hello Gurus,
I recently brought this trunk up to Alaska from Wisconsin. I believe this trunk is very well travelled...possibly from Europe. It was stored up in the rafters of an old farm building for several generations. The most recent use for this trunk is believed to be a travelling carpenters tool chest. The top of the trunk has a lot of wear from tools beating on it. There is part of an old train schedule or steamer schedule pasted on the inside of the trunk next to a litho of George Washington's family. The date on the schedule is 1864.
I understand that refinishing old furniture is often taboo, but I really wanted to use this trunk in my bedroom as an antique piece. I was using an orbital sander to remove several layers of paint on the top. Next I moved to the front of the chest. I couldn't believe it when I started seeing some white stenciling showing through. The original paint (or primer was red, and then there were two layers of a olive drab green color. The sander easily took off the top layer and revealed the white stenciling. The name on the front was F. Eickhoff. I decided to keep the name on the front so I sanded around it. Then I found an unusual mark above the name, just to the right of the keyhole. It is lightly embossed into the wood, which appears to be pine (the trim pieces are some type of oak). Anyway, the design looks like it might be a crusader cross. Does that make any sense? When I researched the Eickhoff name, it seems to come from Switzerland / Austria / Germany.
The hinges are hand forged, and the lock and handles are also very interesting.
I know I probably shouldn't have refinished this chest, but I never would have found the two interesting pieces of the puzzle as to where this chest has been.
If anyone can fill in more information as to the identity of this chest I would really appreciate it.
Cheers everyone
AK Dan
Hi DBaeten, you have a very nice early Immigrant trunk that very likely came from exactly where you traced the name to. I would date this trunk very early 1800's, If you look at your symbol one way it does look like a Templer cross, but it also looks like a flower design within a circle. I don't think your symbol is from the crusades as they took place from 1095 to 1291 long be fore the trunk was made, but I do think it is a symbol of Dutch, Swiss, German heritage. When Immigrants came to america if they built barns, these type of symbols were painted on the barns to show there heritage, there were many different symbols but I found some that were very similar to what is on your trunk. Its very possible that an Immigrant found work and had to ride a train to get there, explaining the tool marks and train schedule, purely speculation but you never know, I've said it be fore if trunks could only talk. I would continue the refinishing but preserve the area with the name and give it a nice satin finish with Tung oil or something like that. very nice find, greendog
Thanks Greendog. I will look up some pics of early Americana barn designs. That helps a lot. Was it common to add pictures to the trunks throughout it's history?
Also, when I inspected the design further I could tell that the design was done by hand. The pattern isn't perfect, and two of the lines extend beyond the circle.
Bobby 725 - it does have a lock behind the keyhole. It is a very long lock. It goes from below the keyhole all the way to the top of the front. On the lid, there is an arrow (or heart shaped) piece that inserts into the lock. It is bent over now to prevent the trunk from locking, since there is no key.
I sure appreciate the comments.
Hey Dan, these Immigrant trunks were most likely made by someone in the family or someone they knew that was good at making trunks and usually didn't have a picture in them, but there are exceptions to the rule. I'am going to say the picture was added sometime after it came to north america, I think its been there a while, who knows maybe the Immigrant found the picture and because Washington was a founding father of america, he put it in. The design may or may not have been complete, maybe started on the voyage over, who knows. That's the mystery and allure of trunks.