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A small two piece 19th century teak campaign or travelling secretaire chest.

The fine chest with reinforced corner mounts, recessed handles and side carrying handles as is to be expected on pieces of this sort which were designed to be broken down to be transported, this piece features a finely-fitted secretaire drawer above three sliding drawers of traditional form. The piece stands on toupie feet and the plain surface has acquired a pleasant mellow colour, contrasting nicely with the darker interior of the secretaire which has not been faded by prolonged exposure to sunlight.

It is unusual to find pieces of this sort of such relatively small size, making this a particularly desirable example.

Made in two pieces so as to be easy to transport, chests of this sort are frequently referred to as "campaign chests" due to their popularity with military officers who took them on campaign and used them in their tents. Chests of this sort were also very popular on board ships in officers' cabins and the use of teak might suggest a Colonial origin - perhaps Anglo-Indian or Anglo-Chinese. The recessed handles are of a typical pattern - designed to be space saving in cramped tents or cabins. The secretaire drawer is particularly nicely finished, the pigeon holes having nicely shaped mouldings to the top recalling Mughal architecture and again perhaps suggesting an Anglo-Indian origin.

H 98cm x W 74cm x D 43cm
H 38½” x W 29¼” x D 17”