Chest 009

Chest 009

A dowry chest, in the form of a cuboid mounted on four wheels, closed with a box lock. The lid is slightly wider and opened on two hinges. Inside a half-chest. Polychrome surface: in the middle of the lid and on the front wall, a single rectangular field with an ornamental border. In the centre of the field, there is a motif of a wreath, framed in the corners by quarter-circular sections of a twig and smaller flowers. The central field is flanked on the sides by two vertical, analogous twigs.

A twig, which embraces the central field on both sides with the main motif of a wreath, consists of a vertical, white stem, with white and red leaves adjacent to its sides. Additional, smaller, red petals are placed on the axis of the stem. A twig with leaves is one of the frequent decorative motifs found on dowry chests from the Jawor carpentry centre, which were popular in the eastern part of Podkarpacie. It is associated with the symbolism of the "tree of life" and signified eternal happiness.

Item: Polychrome Dowry Chest (motif: a twig)
Material, technique: pine wood, carpentry
Dimensions: chest - height 92 cm, width 101 cm, depth 58 cm; motif - length 47 cm, width 6 cm
Time of origin: 1st third of the 20th century
Origin: Niemstów (Cieszanów Commune)
Owner: Museum of the Eastern Borderland in Lubaczów