Other medieval furniture of Chateau Martainville

This blog continues the pictorial story of the medieval and renaissance furniture at Chateau Martainville in Normandy, France. This time I will present photographs taken of several seat furniture, such as a high armchair, boxed settles and as well as a bed, a cupboard, a door and a threstle table.

Seat furniture

 

This oak high armchair dates from 1490-1500. 

It is 186 cm high, 50.5 cm deep and 74 cm wide across the armrests.

The bottom panels and the sides are linenfold carved, the backrest panel has a gothic window style.

Beneath the seating is a chest, the keylock is at the front.

 

Details of the carved dragons at the top of the chair.

 

 A settle with armrests, but without a backrest. A chest is beneath the seating boards.

 

 The same bench, the lid does not cover the complete seating area. 

Note also the linenfold wall cover at the back of the settle.

 The side of the settle, with linenfold panels.

The lockplate with heavy clamps of the settle's chest.

  A late medieval settle with six linenfold panels for the backrest as well as for the 'chest' part of the seating.

  

The side of the settle does have plain and chamfered panels instead of linenfold carving.

A settle or double high armchair with three open armrests. The panels for the settle are undecorated. 
The chairs are unequal in width.

Cupboard

 

A cupboard from the first French renaissance.

Beneath the cupboard are three small drawers.

Tables

 

A 17th century trestle table, consisting of two trestles and a separate table board. 

Not many original medieval trestles exist (one in a museum in Paris, France; and one in Bruges, Belgium). 

Though this one is not medieval, such types can be found in medieval paintings and miniatures.

One trestle, the table board seen from below.

 

 Construction details from the top and the base of the trestle

The table board is constructed of several planks  fixed with dowels in an end-plank. 

Note the groove and tongue joint.

 The large kitchen table of Chateau Martainville.

Detail of the feet of the kitchen table. The feet are attached with a dovetail joint.

Bed

 A four-poster bed with parchemin panels.

The parchemin panel of the top rail of the bed. 

The dowels which fix the mortise and tenon joint are easily seen.

 

The back panels of the bed are plain.

 

Door

A panel and frame door in chateau Martainville with parchemin carved panels. 

Also the doorframe is elaborately carved.

Medieval and renaissance chests of Chateau Martainville

As mentioned before, Chateau de Martainville in France contains a large collection of medieval and renaissance furniture, dating from the 15th and 16th century. This furniture can roughly be divided into three styles: 'Gothic', 'First (French) Renaissance' and 'Second (French) Renaissance'. These styles could occur together in the same time period of the 15th and 16th century. The Gothic style is based on mortise and tenon frames and panels, often with linenfold or parchemin carvings. This style is typical late medieval. In the First Renaissance style the linenfold panels are exchanged for more decorated panels. For instance medallions with human heads are found on panels. The Second Renaissance style is even more decorated; carvings have more depth, i.e. they are more three-dimensional, and whole story scenes could be depicted.  

Among the furniture in Chateau de Martinville are around 12 large chests (not all are shown here). Some of them are so-called 'bridal chests', given as part of the dowry. Sizes of the chests are more or less the same.

1. This bridal chest dates from 1610 and is in First Renaissance style with seven front panels.

2. This is a simple panel and frame chest without any carving.

3. This bridal chest is also in the First Renaissance style dating from 1540-1550. 

Sizes are: 96 cm height, 179 cm width and 78 cm depth.

3. Frontal view of the same bridal chest. Panels are more decorated with animal figures.

3. The side of the chest is decorated with diamond carved panels.

3. Detail of the lock of the same chest.

4. Another bridal chest in the same First renaissance style as the previous one.

 4. Only a part of the lock of this chest is present.

4. Also this chest has decorated diamond panels at the sides.

5. This Gothic style chest has four panels with parchemin carving.

 

5. A birds eye view of the same Gothic style chest. Also the side panels have parchemin panels. 

The boards of the lid are severely warped.

5. Detail of the lock of the Gothic style chest.

5. Side of the gothic chest.

6. A second renaissance style chest. The front panel has a complete scene.

7. A medieval chest with four linenfold panels against the back of a wooden wand panel frame.

7. The side of the same medieval chest.

8. Another chest with five linenfold panels, but it has a different type feet.  

 

8. Detail of the lock of this medieval chest.

8. The side of the chest with linenfold panels. The lid has a supporting horizontal rail. 

9. A chest with four panels with parchemin carving. This chest has a simple lock plate. 

9. The same medieval chest seen from the other side.

10. A Gothic style chest with four panels with simple linenfold carving.

10. Side view of the same chest.

10. The lock is on the outside of the chest. 

All the other chests had the lock inside and only the lock plate outside.