Posted 9 years ago
msanything…
(1 item)
I inherited this beauty from my mother who passed away last year.
She and my dad lived in Saudi Arabia from 1977-1984. My mom was an interior decorator for Mobil Oil executives living in Riyadh. She loved to shop, especially for antiques. When they returned to the states, mom shipped a half of a shipping container full of antiques from the middle east.
She bought this trunk in one of the antique suks, I believe in Saudi Arabia but could have been one of the surrounding countries. She said that this was used by Bedouins and would travel by camel and be used in tents in the dessert. I also have 4 carved wooden "feet" that the trunk would sit on. I don't believe they are original to this particular trunk as they are two different sizes and she had a bunch of those "feet".
Measurements are 41.5"wide x 21"deep x 24"tall.
Wondering if anyone can possibly date this beautiful trunk or tell me more about it.
Thanks in advance.
Susan
Wonderful post, I would goggle: Middle eastern chest images, Many images of similar chests will appear. The brass tack work is extraordinary. These were all hand made out of Brazilian Mahogany wood. There are a few different types (from what I could find out) Shiraz,Surat, Bombay, and Mali-bar. They were used for different purposes. Some had multiple drawers on the bottom. Wedding chests,domestic storage ,Sea chests or pearl.
Originally the design was brought by the Portuguese to Oman in the 16th century,
And later copied in the region after they left.
( Showcaseuae.com ) - Contains a brief history of this type of early furniture.
These pieces apparently are becoming more and more scarce to find.
Thank you for the post, good luck and welcome to CW.
Thank you so much, Drill! I really appreciate your comment.
STUNNING TRUNK!!!