I bought this chest off Craigslist yesterday (for a great price!) and I would love to know more about it! It was listed as "Scandinavian or German." But I have been looking at hundreds of them tonight and it reminds me of Austrian ones. But I don't know exactly what to look for! It is missing it's feet. The hinges, lock, nails and escutcheon are original. The key is missing. The paint is all old grimy milk paint, very worn and warm. It may have been completely repainted at some point in it's life but I'm not certain. There is milk/oxblood paint over a few areas of extensive worm damage, so it was at least touched up. There also appears to be a very faded dark red pattern underneath the lighter red paint in some areas, which can be seen in a few of the photos. But it could just be darker red paint that was painted at the same time. It's hard to tell! You can see what I mean about the worm damage and the faded pattern in the third picture, near the top of the chest. If it was repainted, it was a very long time ago, maybe in the mid 19th century. I realize it won't be worth as much if it has been repainted. But for history's sake, I wouldn't mind a bit. I have been reading a lot online tonight and I read that these were usually kept for many generations and the family repainted them through the years.
There are a few words and scribbles in the little compartment inside, "88" is written a few times. I will get more pictures posted later! Thank you for any advice!
