A 17th century coffer made of oak, triple panelled front with a lunette frieze carved rail
An 18th century oak coffer
Chests and Coffers
The chest or coffer is one of the earliest forms of furniture and were often used to store linen and clothing.
Early chests were very basic and consisted of planks of wood nailed together. These chests or coffers dated from around the thirteenth century.
From the seventeenth century, many coffers were panelled and sometimes drawers were set into the base.
Eventually the coffer evolved into the chest of drawers which we are familiar with today. Tallboys and highboys also derived from the coffer. The latter two became popular during the reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne.