{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O52906"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O52906/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM1895/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM1895/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM1895","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BG5608","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM1894","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM1892","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KY5594","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O52906/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O52906","accessionNumber":"W.18:1 to 6-1958","objectType":"Travelling trunk","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"<b>Object Type</b><br>This is a particularly fine example of a travelling coffer, or trunk.  The outside of the trunk would originally also have been covered in leather, making it waterproof.  Travelling trunks dating from earlier centuries were plain inside with perhaps two small drawers. By the16th century the interiors of expensive trunks for documents or small objects were fitted with many trays and drawers. Some, like this one, had a drop front to provide access to the contents.<br><br><b>People</b><br>The letter 'ER' probably relates to Edward VI who reigned from 1547 to 1553, rather than his sister Elizabeth I. The style of the coat of arms and the gold ornament are similar to bookbindings from his reign.<br><br><b>Materials and Making</b><br>The box would have been made by a specialist coffer-maker, who was skilled in the use of wood, leather and textiles. William Green of London supplied coffers to the Royal Household during the reign of Edward VI, but we do not know whether he supplied this one.","physicalDescription":"Travelling trunk, rectangular with fall front; the cover with flat top and angled sides. Wrought iron baluster swing handles with quatrefoil handle plates. Wrought iron hinges and re-inforcing straps. The fall front is held in position by a hook and eye fitting on each side, that on the right is defective. On the front of the falling flap is a lock plate in the form of a shield with shaped edges representing supporters, surmounted by a crown. The leather outer covering is missing. \nThe interior retains its original calf leather covering with tooled and gilt ornament. In the centre of the fall front the royal arms with lion and dragon supporters and cypher ER. within a rectangular compartment. To left and right a cartouche formed of two intersecting squares enclosing the crwoned Tudor rose with cypher ER. (probably of Edward VI).\nThe lower part of the trunk contains two long and two short drawers, each with original crimson silk linings. The fronts covered with leather tooled and gilt with Tudor roses within an interlacing floral pattern. The upper part forms a trunk originally lined with crimson silk, now surviving only on the inside of the hinged cover. The silk is attached with tapes and brass-headed nails.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Green, William","id":"A8450"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"possibly"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oak","id":"AAT12264"},{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"},{"text":"wrought iron","id":"AAT11012"},{"text":"silk (textile)","id":"AAT243428"}],"techniques":[{"text":"tooling","id":"AAT53876"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Oak, with stamped leather and silk linings and wrought iron handles","categories":[{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"},{"text":"British Galleries","id":"THES48985"},{"text":"Medieval and renaissance","id":"THES271264"},{"text":"Leather","id":"THES49030"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AM1895","2006BG5608","2006AM1894","2006AM1892","2018KY5594"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"56D (VA)","id":"THES49242"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":"10"},{"current":{"text":"56D (VA)","id":"THES49242"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":"10"},{"current":{"text":"56D (VA)","id":"THES49242"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":"10"},{"current":{"text":"56D (VA)","id":"THES49242"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":"10"},{"current":{"text":"56D (VA)","id":"THES49242"},"free":"","case":"CA14","shelf":"","box":"10"},{"current":{"text":"FWK3","id":"THES49462"},"free":"","case":"KEYS","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Travelling trunk","id":""}],[{"text":"Drawer","id":""}],[{"text":"Drawer","id":""}],[{"text":"Drawer","id":""}],[{"text":"Drawer","id":""}],[{"text":"Key","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1547-1553","earliest":"1547-01-01","latest":"1553-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the British Antique Dealers' Association","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"54","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"closed","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"84","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"including handles","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"39.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: Measured; 11/01/1999 by NH. Width 77.5 without handles\n\ncoffer should have at least 2.5 cm gap between object and wall.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"marked ER, probably for the household of Edward VI  (1547-1553)","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":"A8877"},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The style of the royal arms and gold tooled ornament resemble the products of a bindery that worked for Edward VI and Queen Mary. The use of a lozenge within a rectangle is typical of the King Edward and Queen Mary Bindery.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Edward VI's travelling trunk (removing coffer)","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"G.D. Hobson, Bindings in Cambridge Libraries (Cambridge, University Press 1929) Pl. XXVI"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Book Collector, Vol I (1953) p.244."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Book Collector, Vol 2 (1954) p.272."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Holmes, Bindings from Windsor Castle, pls. 7 and 8"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"TRAVELLING COFFER\r\nENGLISH; mid 16th century\r\nOak covered with stamped leather\r\n\r\nThe coffer has a fall front concealing drawers originally lined with crimson silk.  The style of the royal arms and the gold tooled ornament resembles that of a bindery which worked for Edward VI, and it is probable that the cypher E.R. refers to him rather than his sister, Elizabeth I.  The coffer was probably used for documents.\r\n\r\nGiven by the British Antique Dealers Association.","date":{"text":"pre October 2000","earliest":null,"latest":"2000-09-30"}},{"text":"This chest survives from the time when noble and royal households constantly moved from one residence to another. It was probably used to transport documents between houses for a high-ranking court official.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["W.18:1-1958","W.18:2-1958","W.18:3-1958","W.18:4-1958","W.18:5-1958","W.18:6-1958"],"accessionNumberNum":"18","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1958,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Travelling trunk","Drawer [1]","Drawer [2]","Drawer [3]","Drawer [4]","Key"],"assets":["2019LM5734","2019LM9378","2019LN0492","2019LN0493","2019LN1346","2019LN6207","2019LN6206","2019LR2664","2019LP7945","2019LP3442","2019LP1601","2019LU7562","2019LU7561","2019LU3062","2019LU0056","2019LV6975"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-23","recordCreationDate":"2001-01-24","availableToBook":false}}