Oak chest with a traceried front panel and cusped decoration on the lid from the church of St Margaret de Westwick, Norwich; 15th century
This chest dates from the early 15th century and came originally from the Church of St Margaret de Westwick in Norwich. It is made of high quality Baltic oak which was widely imported during the Middle Ages. It has an elaborately carved front and a heavy lock. The chest is also distinctive because of its lid decoration and its inward-leaning façade.
This chest is part of a significant group of similar chests which are likely to have been influenced by contemporary designs in the Lower Saxony regions. It is possible that the chest was either imported or made in Britain by a craftsman from the Lower Saxony region. It is a symbol of the rich medieval history of Norwich; a city which has more standing medieval churches, over thirty, than any other city north of the Alps. It is also a reminder of the artistic and material exchange between countries in the Middle Ages.
