Catalogue of extant chests and caskets

This is a catalogue of the extant chests used for this paper. I have endeavoured to list them in chronological order. The data collected include the following: date, origin, collection details, description (type of wood, dimensions, joinery, lock, no. of hasps and hinges, decoration) and contents.

Dated Chests & Caskets

Whithorn Coffin Chests (England)

Figure 10. 93, Chest coffins with iron fittings from Nicholson Hill, Peter (ed.) (1997) Whithorn & St. Ninian The Excavation of a Monastic Town 1984-91, p414.

Oseberg (Norway) Chest No. 149

Oseberg (Norway) Chest No. 156

Oseberg (Norway) Chest No. 178

Note: There were also fragments of at least three other chests in the find.

Gandersheim Casket

Mästermyr Chest (Sweden)

York Coffin Chests (England)

No picture available.

Notes: Bolt M1677d may represent a second lock from this chest. Burial 94 (M1701) has a similar lock to Burial 105.

Fyrkat Casket (Denmark)

No picture available.

Note: A similar lock was found Sdr. Onsild, North Jutland, Denmark. See Appendix 1 for more information.

Lejre Casket (Denmark)

Lejre Coffin Chest (Denmark)

Cammin Casket (Scandinavian)

Bamberg Casket (Germany)

Voxtorp Chest (Sweden)

Rydaholm Chest (Sweden)

Ryssby Chest (Sweden)

Gamla Uppsala Chest (Sweden)

12th – 13th century Hutch Chest (England)

Link to object record in the VAM http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93911/chest-unknown/

13th century long legged hutch chest (France)

Undated Chests and Caskets

Swallowcliffe Down Casket (England)

Replica made by author, no ring on lid, and hasp and hasp plate instead of lock.

Finglesham Casket (England)

No picture available.

St. Severin Casket (France)

Birka Casket Grave 639 (Sweden)

Birka Caskets Grave 845 (Sweden)

Notes: There is a range of extant metal fittings from chests and caskets from the same site. See grave find numbers; 24 (two handles (end of chest (?), slide bolt key), 67 (handle, metal bracing), 353 (nails, split rivet, hinges, and handle), 367 (casket handle with split pins), 559 (handle and turn key), 585 (triangular lock plate and turn key), 644 (round headed nails and metal bracing), 708 (hinge, and two keys), 739 (lock plate, keys, and handle), 791 (animal headed hasp terminals and handle), 965 (turn key, triangular lock plate and round headed nails), 978 (hasp), 1083 (handle for casket, turn key and other metal fittings), Ohne Grab-Nr (Nr = not recorded (?), (Hinges, handle, lock plates, and hasp).

Hedeby Chest (Denmark)

(Replica) See Appendix 2. for plans.

Un-dated rectangular prism chest ( Sweden )

Links to other Research work

Chest Handles by Leatherworking Reverend - Wayne Robinson

Caskets, Coffers, & Boxes by The Linkspages at Larsdatter.com.