Superior Antique Pine Marriage Chest with Blue and Floral Folk Painting

Among the most celebrated old-painted country furniture in Europe are marriage boxes. This one is strong and well crafted and the characteristic marbled paintwork is done by the hand of masters. Clean to the interior, the candebox has survived. The folk art decoration is formulaic with classical urns and flowers but here you see the painter added a special touch, small cartoon-like vignettes in the body of the urns, a rural idyll in keeping with the ‘happy’ character of these works, a farmer in broad-brimmed straw hat astride a house greeting at his homecoming by faithful hounds. Central Europe c.1830