The chest or coffer was the principle piece of domestic furniture in
England in the Middle Ages. It was employed for the storage of personal
clothing and household linen, for documents and valuables, and, owning
to the scarceness of moveable chairs, it served with stools as the
ordinary seat, even as late as Elizabethan times. This antique book
contains a comprehensive catalogue of English chests, cupboards, and
cabinets, with each entry having a beautifully detailed photograph of
the piece in question - taken from the Victoria and Albert museum. A
text that is sure to appeal to those with an interest in historical
furniture, this book is not to be missed by discerning furniture
enthusiasts and makes for a wonderful addition to collections of vintage
furniture literature. We are proud to republish this text here complete
with a new introduction on the history of furniture.