Studio: international art (51.1911)

Ancient Swiss Coffers

pierced carving is thrown into relief by
a dark colouring, and is so delicate as
to look like an inlay. The choir stall
(Fig. 25) is a copy of one in the monas-
tery at Spiez, in Canton Berne. It bears
the coat of arms of the Erlach family,
and the inscription is : “Jesus, Maria,
Sanctus Johannes,” the carving being
thrown into relief by colour.

In the National Museum at Zurich,
and in other Swiss museums there are,
of course, many other fine examples of
wood-carving, but those selected are
sufficient to show that the craftsmen of
old put their souls into their handiwork,
and it is because of this that their works
may be truly said to live after them.

A. S. Levetus.

FIG. 24.—SEWING OR WRITING TABLE
(.Historical Museum, Basle)

let into a soft one, for the chest itself is of deal. It
seems to have been a bridal chest and the trees may
have been meant to symbolise long life.

The last two coffers (Figs. 21 and 22) are dated 1630
and 1643, an<i both are examples of a more debased
style. The one from West Switzerland has all sorts of
ornaments, candelabras, rosettes, scrolls and leaf-work,
the other imitations of stone and brick work, and intarsia,
the body of the coffer being of walnut, while for the inlay,
apple, maple, pear and other soft woods have been used.

The remaining illustrations of a Gothic cupboard
or armoire, a choir stall, and a writing-table, are given
as interesting specimens of wood-carving. The Gothic
cupboard (Fig. 23) is unusual in form for Switzerland.
It is a question whether it has not been made by
cleverly placing pieces of carving together and making
a cupboard to fit them into, for the ornament on the
right differs from that on the three other sides, and
moreover the panels do not agree. In form the table
shown in Fig. 24 is like one of those dolls’ sewing-
tables which are still made in Switzerland, and shows
.all the characteristics of late Gothic. It is only about
a metre in length, and the drawers are very small. The

FIG. 2.5.—CHERRY WOOD CHOIR STALL WITH
CARVED ARMS OF ERLACH FAMILY (CANTON
BERNE, EARLY l6TH CENTURY)

Lande smuseum, Zurich)

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