Tyrolean Painted Chest Featuring Birds, Vases Of Flowers, And A Village Scene

Painted chest from the early 19th century, made of fir wood. This piece retains its original polychrome paintwork, divided into three front panels decorated with figurative scenes, plant motifs, and a central urban landscape.

Period:early 1800s
Provenance: Tyrol
Wood type: Fir
Height: 50 cm
Width: 127 cm
Depth: 64 cm

Tyrolean chest made of softwood, decorated on the front and sides. The front features three paneled sections framed by moldings and divided by green jambs, flanked by two turned columns with finials, painted red.

The front is accented by the brick-red of the side panels, the blue-green background, and the ochre yellow of the central panel. Both side panels share the same decorative pattern: a pair of birds with yellow-orange and blue plumage, facing each other on either side of a light blue star-shaped flower. Below them is a cup-shaped vase adorned with festoons and garlands, accompanied by sprigs of orange, blue, and white flowers. The motif is repeated with slight variations, typical of hand-painted work.

In the center, the ochre panel features a view of a village. Multi-story houses with red-orange roofs, windows, and doors rendered with quick brushstrokes, dominated by a bell tower with an onion dome, and a tree canopy on the left. The scene, highly striking, possesses the charm of traditional village vistas. A wrought-iron vent with a scroll-like profile, featuring the original latch, is mounted on the ground color.

The sides are also decorated with a large red panel depicting a bouquet of flowers—tulips and leafy twigs—enclosed within a painted frame. The frame features a light-colored band with a blue, wavy ribbon in a spiral pattern running along the edges, and white, dotted corner panels. The side features a wrought-iron handle, making the piece easy to carry.

The decoration is casein paint applied freehand over a uniform background. The design is concise and the lines are confident, with a brilliant use of complementary red and green that makes the decorative elements stand out. The lid, with a “tray”-shaped edge, opens as a flap on wrought-iron hinges and shows only traces of the original decoration. The interior, made of light-colored wood, features a small side compartment.

Work performed on all our furniture:

– Structural restoration: replacement of small missing parts, filling of any cracks on the back panel, consolidation of deteriorated areas, inspection and repair of hardware.
– Thorough woodworm treatment.
– Cleaning and sanitization of the interior.
– Exterior finish with natural beeswax.
– Interior finish with shellac, a natural alcohol-based varnish.

Customizations:

Upon request, we can arrange:

– the desired level of restoration;
– customization of the interiors (addition of coat hooks, shelves, dividers, etc.).