The city of Halberstadt north of the Harz region in Germany houses a good collection of medieval furniture and wooden objects, mainly consisting of armoires, chests and caskets. They can be found in the Liebfrauenkirche, the Dom, and the Domschatzkammer. This blogpost shows the armoires and chests from these places, a next post will show some of the other medieval furniture pieces. Unfortunately the most spectacular armoire in Halberstadt was not on display. Nevertheless I have added pictures of this painted armoire from other resources in order to make the furniture collection from Halberstadt complete.
The Liebfrauenkirche
The Liebfrauenkirche, the oldest parts dating from the 11th century, used to be part of a monastery. In the cloister walkway some wooden ornaments of medieval houses (destroyed during WO2 bombing) are displayed.
The ornamented armoire in the Liebrauenkirche is made from oak and dated around 1300. It has been stained a darker colour on the outside. The inside has a natural aged oak colour. The armoire has a height of 235 cm, a width of 83 cm and a depth of 58 cm.
The armoire has two sets of double doors and a single door on top. It stands on socalled 'kufen'.
The armoire is ornamented with two carved dragons and some foliage on the sides.
The lower part of the armoire holds 3 shelves (left), the middle part as well (right).
You can see the difference in colour of the outside and inside of the armoire.
The construction of the armoire is simple. All boards are nailed and held together with iron straps.
The Liebfrauenkirche has two medieval chests of the hutch type. Both chests are kept from the ground by wooden blocks in order to prevent further damage to the feet.
The chest has had some adjustments during its service life. Note that the nails are in a V-pattern on the front. These and the central metal flowers have only a decorative function. The metal flowers and nails on the feet likely also function to fix the front boards to the feet.
The original lockplate has no function - the lockhinge is removed, Instead a new hinge for a padlock had been added.
The right side of the chest has an extra hinge with a swivel pin at the back (it is absent on the left side). This is a bit curious as there are also two (incomplete - some parts have broken off) hinges on the lid of the chest. The lid itself is composed of two boards. These are attached with wooden pins to the horizontal beam.
No swivel pin on the left side. You can see that the chest 'floats' in the air. It is kept from the ground by wooden blocks in order to prevent further damage to the feet.
The second chest of the Liebfrauenkirche has some decoration at the feet.
The central locks on this chest are a bit of an enigma. The lockhole of the round one has no function. There seem to be some traces of a lockplate and corresponding hinge that have disappeared. Like the first chest, a new padlock hinge was added later.
The boards of the lid are fixed with wooden pins to the horizontal beam, which also holds a hole for a wooden swivel pin.
The Dom treasury
All the medieval armoires and chests are on display in the Dom treasury, together with some other medieval goods. Some of the medieval furniture was transferred from the Liebfrauenkiche to the Dom treasury.
The armoire is from the sacristy and dates from 1500. The parts of the decorated crown are connected by dovetails, whereas the main part of the armoire is held by iron straps. There is a suggestion that there was also a padlock, but traces of the corresponding hinge are not found on the door.
The side shows the iron straps that were directly hammered inside the frontal frame (thereby splitting the wood a bit). In the previous photo you can see the iron of a strap protruding (middle of the right frame side).
Chest reinforced with iron straps, made from Fir wood, and dated 14th century. The chest used to store the archive of the Dom kapittel.
The front of the fir chest. Apparently the archive was not considered very valuable, as it has only one padlock.
The side of the fir chest.
Slightly domed chest made from oak, and dating from the 15th century. It is reinforced with iron straps, of which the remains of some can be seen. The lid used to be one piece of oak, which has now split in two. Height 50 x width 93 x depth 48 cm.
The chest has a nice description in German on the digital museum archive, which is translated here:
The chest is constructed using a box-like design, with each side consisting of a single solid wood plank. The lid thickens in the center lengthwise, forming a curve. The front and back panels butt against the side panels, held together by wooden pegs. The front and back panels are dovetailed to accommodate the side panels, which are then chamfered in a corresponding shape. The bottom of the chest sits between the front and back panels and supports the side panels; here, too, wooden dowels secure the connection. In addition, six long iron bands encircle the body from the front, along the bottom to the back, stabilizing it. Four more long bands run along the sides and down to the bottom, ending before the outermost of these front-back bands. Iron bands reinforce the corners of the chest. Iron fittings also cover the corners of the lid. The lid was once hinged by seven hinges, of which six remain. It was originally secured by a butterfly lock and three padlocks (now lost). Two carrying rings on each side serve for lifting.
The chest is constructed using a box-like design, with each side consisting of a single solid wood plank. The lid thickens in the center lengthwise, forming a curve. The front and back panels butt against the side panels, held together by wooden pegs. The front and back panels are dovetailed to accommodate the side panels, which are then chamfered in a corresponding shape. The bottom of the chest sits between the front and back panels and supports the side panels; here, too, wooden dowels secure the connection. In addition, six long iron bands encircle the body from the front, along the bottom to the back, stabilizing it. Four more long bands run along the sides and down to the bottom, ending before the outermost of these front-back bands. Iron bands reinforce the corners of the chest. Iron fittings also cover the corners of the lid. The lid was once hinged by seven hinges, of which six remain. It was originally secured by a butterfly lock and three padlocks (now lost). Two carrying rings on each side serve for lifting.
This chest has four padlocks securing its contents.
The lid of the chest is ornamented with straight carved lines, and very slightly domed.
You can see the two carrier rings on the side of the chest.
You can see the two carrier rings on the side of the chest.
In the large interior of the chest, grooves and dowel holes in the left-hand side of the plank walls reveal the former installation of a drawer with a hinged lid and a second drawer beneath it, which likely served as a secret compartment. The arrangement of the grooves, which slope diagonally to the side at the bottom, and the horizontal and vertical grooves above them, suggests that the upper drawer was probably wider than the lower one and concealed it. Furthermore, they show that this upper drawer had a double bottom made of two superimposed boards, only partially inserted into the offset grooves, which could be pulled out but were not recognizable as double from above.
The numerous long straps, the hidden second inner drawer, and the choice of the apotrophic animals griffin and lion, intended to ward off an attacker, thief, etc., indicate that the chest was used to store and secure valuable items or objects, possibly documents or books.
The numerous long straps, the hidden second inner drawer, and the choice of the apotrophic animals griffin and lion, intended to ward off an attacker, thief, etc., indicate that the chest was used to store and secure valuable items or objects, possibly documents or books.
The inside of the lid is covered with a painting of a griffin and a lion, depicted facing each other. A border of black and white opposing triangles surrounds the image. Note the two rings on the inside of the lid for a lock-bolt. Photo from the digital museum archive https://st.museum-digital.de/object/126875
Armoire dating from around 1300, made from oak. The armoire has two sets of double dours, with a third one on top. The armoire is decorated at the top with leaves and rosettes, and has a decorative round opening at the peak. The base is carved with pointed arches with trefoils and rosettes. The centre is a carved line with some carved rosettes. Height 247 cm,
width 95 cm and depth 59 cm.
The 'roof' is also held together with iron bands.
The locks on the armoire were added later, either as secondary or tertiary modifications; the original locking mechanism likely consisted of a latch with a padlock. The lockplate on the door is gone, but the corresponding part is still present. The current latch and packlock are likely added later.
The armoire stands on a decorated plinth.
The back panel and front frame are attached to the side panels with wooden pegs. The back panel consists of three boards joined with dowels. Similarly, the roof slopes are made of three doweled boards butted together. Iron bands further secure the connections between the back panel, the side panels, and the roof. The doors were also hung using band hinges that extended to the sides. The carved decoration is directly made in the wood of the front boards.
A view from the backside of the armoire. Note that the top of the back boards also have some sort of stepwise decoration. Also here traces of the iron bands can be seen on the oak.
The entry in the digital museeum archive https://st.museum-digital.de/object/113634) mentions that: In the 18th or early 19th century, the interior of the wardrobe was temporarily converted for hanging clothes: This is evidenced by hook boards with wooden pegs for hanging clothes at the top of the back wall and short hook boards on the side walls (wooden pegs broken). All the original shelves were removed, and the doors were joined on the inside with a horizontal strip (shadows and nail holes are visible). These alterations were reversed in the 19th or 20th century by inserting new shelves on strips and separating the doors again. These doors originally butted together. Probably due to the poor condition of the edges, they were slightly shortened and smoothed with an end-grain plane. The side gable boards were also removed and re-doweled. These dowels are significantly larger and more oval-shaped than the others. Front panels concealed the resulting gap between the doors. The vertical strike plates running the full height of the cabinet were completely replaced; they intersect the hinges and are attached with industrial nails.
Showing the inside of the armoire. Photo from digital museum archive https://st.museum-digital.de/object/113634
A very large three-doored armoire dating from 1250-1300. The front is made from oak, while the side panels, roof and shelves are made from spruce, inside are traces of fabric. The form and number of straps are reminiscent of the chests from Westphalen. Height 297 cm, Width 98 cm, Depth 60 cm.
The digital museum archive (https://st.museum-digital.de/object/112984) mentions of this armoire: Sixteen or seventeen iron bands encircle the armoire horizontally, interrupted at the doors for opening. The thick boards are butt-jointed with long iron nails. All shelves are originally mortised into the side panels. The horizontal cross braces between the front doors connect to the vertical side planks with large dovetail joints. The lower cross joint, however, consists of a lap joint and nails. The rabbet of the door frames was created by removing approximately half the thickness of the boards using saws and splits. The boards were smoothed with a scrub plane - the tool marks are visible inside as parallel grooves.
The top door is missing its lock and lockplate. The iron bands (and rosettes) at the top have a decorative foliar design.They were once effectively highlighted and complemented with red-dyed fabric backings. These fabric backings protruded approximately 1 cm but were later cut along the contours of the iron bands; cut marks in the wood bear witness to this.
An original, functional double-locking butterfly lock and a padlock, likely from the 16th century, remain on the middle door.
The bottom door has lost its lock and lockplate, however latches for a double lock remain.
Even the roof has iron bands all over it.
The interior of the armoire was lined with floral-printed paper, the decoration of which suggests an 18th-century origin. This later addition of decorative paper indicates that the cabinet was used for display purposes during this period. Photo from digital museum archive https://st.museum-digital.de/object/112984
Giebelschrank with two doors and decorated with dragons. made from oak and dated around 1300.
Height 200 cm, width 63 cm.
The dragon decorations. At the top also a rosette is found. An iron strip is holding the upper part of the door in place (there is also one strip at the bottom of this door).
Side view of the armoire. Note how the iron strip from the back is folded over the roof board.
Painted armoire, dated between 1245-1250. Made from oak and softwood. Decorated using bole gilding and tempera paint. On the right door the angel Gabriel, with on the left the virgin Maria ("without the mouth"). Measurements height 198 cm, width 137 cm, depth 78 cm.
This armoire was made in the second quarter of the 13th century and originated from the Liebfrauenkirche in Halberstadt. It is an exceptional piece of furniture in many ways. Not only is it unique in its design, but its painted decoration is also an outstanding example of late Romanesque panel painting. Art historians have considered it a key piece in the development of the large altarpieces of the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, this armoire was not on display when we visited the Domschatzkammer. All images and information regarding this armoire are from the Digital Museumarchive (https://st.museum-digital.de/object/96437).
The core of the armoire is made of oak, and constructed from framed posts with grooved infill panels. As softwood was used for the inner compartment, scholars assume that it was added or replaced at a later date. The painting, executed in egg tempera, is applied to a chalk ground and partially covered with parchment and canvas. This combination of materials makes the cabinet particularly susceptible to climatic fluctuations. It is approximately 2 meters high, 80 cm deep, and 135 cm wide at the top; the panels are 4 cm thick. Inside, at least the upper compartment was lined with red fabric, remnants of which still exist.
The red fabric inside the armoire and the painted posts.
The top view of the armoire. A crowning "tabernacle," presumably a triangular pediment, was still present on top of the armoire in 1842.
John the Evangelist on the left side of the armoire.
The exterior of the armoire depicts the Annunciation: Under a canopy supported by columns, Mary stands on the left and the angel on the right. On the left narrow side, the exterior presumably shows John the Evangelist, and on the other side, Saint Paul. When the doors are open, Saint Catherine can be seen on the left and Saint Cunigunde on the right. A decorative band with pseudo-Kufic (or pseudo-Aabian) ornamentation encircles the base of the cabinet. The painting shows Byzantine influences and has been linked to the Annunciation in the Goslar Gospels (circa 1240), which is dated to approximately the same period.
Saint Catherine (left) and Saint Cunigunde (right) on the inside of the doors.
The photo shows the pseudo kufic ornamentation on the posts, and the attachment of the door hinges.
Research literature has suggested various uses for the armoire, based on its iconographic program. In addition to its general function as a sacristy cabinet, housing chalices, patens, vestments, and other liturgical items, specific uses have been considered, including housing of the Marian relics, the Halberstadt Seated Madonna, or liturgical books.
The north transept has been identified as its medieval location in the Liebfrauenkirche. In the 1820s and 30s, it stood "on the north side of the [main] altar". As the Liebfrauenkirche was no longer used after 1812 and its future purpose remained undecided, it fell into disrepair. For this reason, several valuable furnishings were moved from the church to the cathedral (Dom), particularly to the New Chapter House, starting in 1828, where they were stored safely and in dry conditions. Between 1833 and 1842, the armoire was also moved there. After 1848, when the Reformed congregation received the Liebfrauenkirche as a gift following a restoration financed by King Frederick William IV of Prussia, it was not returned to the church, but kept in the Cathedral Treasury with a reference to its former origin.
The north transept has been identified as its medieval location in the Liebfrauenkirche. In the 1820s and 30s, it stood "on the north side of the [main] altar". As the Liebfrauenkirche was no longer used after 1812 and its future purpose remained undecided, it fell into disrepair. For this reason, several valuable furnishings were moved from the church to the cathedral (Dom), particularly to the New Chapter House, starting in 1828, where they were stored safely and in dry conditions. Between 1833 and 1842, the armoire was also moved there. After 1848, when the Reformed congregation received the Liebfrauenkirche as a gift following a restoration financed by King Frederick William IV of Prussia, it was not returned to the church, but kept in the Cathedral Treasury with a reference to its former origin.
Armoire of provost "Balthasar from Neuenstadt", dated 1475-1516. Made from spruce and central painting finished with tempera or distemper. The vertical posts and crown have some flat carving with foliar motives. Measurements: Height 253 cm, width 133 cm, depth 51.5 cm.
Side view of the armoire.
The digital museum archive (https://st.museum-digital.de/object/114891) mentions on this armoire:
Late Gothic spruce chest with a base and cornice, including crenellations (some of which are missing). The side panels each consist of a single board, while the front is horizontally divided into a base cabinet or closed panel in frame construction and a tall door section with a door. Painted decoration covers the walls, and flat carvings adorn the base, cornice, and door frame. This decoration is characterized by foliate tendrils and, on the door and side cornice panels, by painted heraldic representations. While the coats of arms on the cornice panels feature flowering tree motifs, the large painted coat of arms on the door identifies Provost Balthasar von Neuenstadt. Painting and carving are in direct dialogue. However, there are differences in design even among the flat carvings: while the background on the base and side cornice panels is punched (star punches on the base, concentric circles on the cornice), the background on the door frame and the front cornice panel is black. The tendrils also differ slightly in motif, indicating two separate production processes. The cabinet is only partially preserved. Extensive alterations and replacements characterize the base (or the closed base panel of the front), the back panel (the central addition is a reused piece), the back panel of the base, the mortised middle shelf, the door strike plate, and the lock. On the inside around the door frame, there are doubled-up strips for the insertion of a glass door (now missing). The armoire was used as a display cabinet for a time; for this purpose, strips for intermediate shelves were also nailed diagonally to the side panels. Original parts of the cabinet include the door with frame, base, cornice, side panels, top shelf, hinges, and the metal handle for opening the door.
Late Gothic spruce chest with a base and cornice, including crenellations (some of which are missing). The side panels each consist of a single board, while the front is horizontally divided into a base cabinet or closed panel in frame construction and a tall door section with a door. Painted decoration covers the walls, and flat carvings adorn the base, cornice, and door frame. This decoration is characterized by foliate tendrils and, on the door and side cornice panels, by painted heraldic representations. While the coats of arms on the cornice panels feature flowering tree motifs, the large painted coat of arms on the door identifies Provost Balthasar von Neuenstadt. Painting and carving are in direct dialogue. However, there are differences in design even among the flat carvings: while the background on the base and side cornice panels is punched (star punches on the base, concentric circles on the cornice), the background on the door frame and the front cornice panel is black. The tendrils also differ slightly in motif, indicating two separate production processes. The cabinet is only partially preserved. Extensive alterations and replacements characterize the base (or the closed base panel of the front), the back panel (the central addition is a reused piece), the back panel of the base, the mortised middle shelf, the door strike plate, and the lock. On the inside around the door frame, there are doubled-up strips for the insertion of a glass door (now missing). The armoire was used as a display cabinet for a time; for this purpose, strips for intermediate shelves were also nailed diagonally to the side panels. Original parts of the cabinet include the door with frame, base, cornice, side panels, top shelf, hinges, and the metal handle for opening the door.
Inside and the painting on the side of the armoire. Photo from the digital museum archive https://st.museum-digital.de/object/114891
The reliquary cabinet from the high altar of the Halberstadt Dom is made of solid oak planks and was nailed all around with iron plates. Nine locks, each kept by a different clergyman, made it theft-proof. Made around 1520.
The reliquary cabinet contained all the relics of the cathedral.
