A Rare 17th Century Oak Alms Box with Coped Lid and Superb Waxed Patina

A rare and evocative survival: a boarded oak alms box of small proportions, English, 17th century, with great colour and patina built through centuries of wax and handling, and retaining its original wrought iron hardware.

Of simple nailed board construction throughout, the box is surmounted by a coped or gabled lid — a form carried directly from medieval ark and reliquary tradition, and one seldom encountered after the middle of the 17th century. Access is gained not through the lid but by a small central door to the front elevation, hung on its original wrought iron butterfly hinges and secured by a lock with an iron escutcheon. This arrangement is characteristic of the parish poor box: the lid fixed to receive offerings, the locked door permitting the churchwardens their periodic access to the contents.

The Royal Injunctions of 1547 had required every English parish to provide a strong chest for the poor men's box, and humble nailed coffers of this type remained the vernacular response for generations — made by local hands, kept in daily service, and mended as needed across the centuries.

The butterfly hinges are of the classic waisted dovetail pattern current from the mid-17th century, hand-forged and nailed in place, and entirely consistent with the date of the carcase.

The surface is the great pleasure of the box: centuries of wax and handling have produced a wonderfully varied tone to the front boards, worn back along every arris, with the coped lid in a varied, rich nut-brown. Softened edges, scattered old worm, and generations of honest use combine to give the box remarkable presence for its size. The interior reveals traces of old red paint and lozenge decoration.

Provenance: England. 17th Century.

Material: Oak and iron.

Condition: Please refer to the images.

Dimensions: