17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-1

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-2

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-3

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-4

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-5

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-6

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-7

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-8

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-9

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-10

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-11

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox-12

17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox or Coffre Fort

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17th Century William and Mary Period Kingwood Oyster Strongbox or Coffre Fort

A fine large and rare kingwood oyster strongbox or Coffre Fort, circa 1680-1700, England.

Adorned with highly decorative gilt brass strap work and decorated entirely in knife cut oysters of kingwood, this box is fit for the most discerning of collector.

The large gilt brass shield-shaped clasp opens on a push-spring release to reveal a box interior lined in rosewood with two drawers, a compartment, securing bolts and 5 well-hidden boxes within.

Once the lid, which conceals two secret boxes behind its drop-down compartment, is opened you can reach inside to slide the original gilt brass bolt lock to open the fall. Once the fall is open you will find two long drawers divided by a secret compartment and a further two are hidden above.

Boxes of this form were as much a status symbol of the period as they were a functional object and subsequently became popular amongst the great and noble, royal even, and can still be found in some of the most important houses such as Burghley House, Chatsworth and Ham House.