Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

The St. Mary’s, Climping and Chichester Cathedral medieval chests: a dendrochronological and comparative study

Pickvance, Chris (2019) The St. Mary’s, Climping and Chichester Cathedral medieval chests: a dendrochronological and comparative study. Sussex Archaeological Collections, 157 . pp. 173-187. ISSN 0143-8204. (KAR id:90307)

Abstract

This article provides a detailed description of two medieval chests in Chichester Cathedral Treasury of a rare type: pin-hinged, clamped chests. Both chests have long attracted admiration and have been given various dates, from 1200 to 1300–1350. Their construction and decoration is compared with other chests of the same type in Sussex and Kent. This brings out the contrast between the chests in the two counties, the diversity of the Sussex chests and the relative similarity of the Kent chests. The Sussex group are either plain or have prominent chip-carved roundels, whereas those in Kent have incised gothic arcading and very small roundels. Dendrochronological analysis dates the timber of the Chichester Cathedral chest earlier (1256–88) than the Climping chest (early 14th century), contrary to what has often been thought. It is suggested that these dates make it unlikely that the two chests are ‘Crusader chests’ and that the depth of the Chichester Cathedral chest makes it likely to have been for vestments.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
N Visual Arts > NA Architecture
N Visual Arts > NK Decorative arts. Applied arts. Decoration and ornament
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Edward Skeates
Date Deposited: 23 Sep 2021 10:17 UTC
Last Modified: 24 Sep 2021 08:49 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/90307 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Pickvance, Chris.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.