Old decanter chest/ The Salem Witch Trials maybe?

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Wangan

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Once again very nice Steve! Unreal! Just once I would have to drink some whiskey out of a bottle and a cup and imagine the old sea captains doing the same from the very cup I was drinking from.To think about their lives and what they saw and did like not saying the wrong thing in front of the uber religious elite for fear of ending up as a witch.I think I would want to be a ships captain too and sail away from those losers.Funny that after all those years there are still fanatical nut jobs trying to tell people the only way to live.[sm=rolleyes.gif]
 

Steve/sewell

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Melinda,Tim the house pictured is the Corwin house in Salem Ma.The possibilty exists that this chest once called this place home.I wrote to the museum in an email two years ago stating I had this chest and was there any interest on there part to aquire it from me.I sent the same email to 3 different addresses with no responses.Their web site is this address http://salemhistorysociety.org/SHS/ Their email I sent went here salemhistory@salemhistorysociety.org
 

bostaurus

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I was going to say that those flowers looked very German but then I went back and read your post....I admit that I go to the pictures in posts first and then go back and read the text. The grain of the wood on the front almost looks like book matched veneer but obviously not. The maker must have saved that board for just such a piece.
 

JOETHECROW

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That is truly a great set of history Steve! Seven years ago I found a similar set under a low table at an "Antique mall" in Harrisonburg Va (W va?) when Penn Digger and I were on our way back from a car auction.....It was marked (unbelievably) 86 dollars...I wish I'd borrowed the money to purchase it....(I remember trying, but I don't think anyone in our group had their credit card/ or enough cash to spare that day)....It was very similar,...The wooden chest, however was not as well made....Anyhow, that is an amazing piece, and an Heirloom to hang on to. Thanks for sharing it again.
 

Steve/sewell

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Melinda you are correct, it is veneer on the front,Charlie (cyberdigger)and I determined that last evening also, however it does not detract as this type of decor was used on these and other chests from the same time period.I am going to take a few pictures here in the sun today.The pictures shown here were taken with an older digital camera.The wall paper used to line the chest is colonial in design also and the type of material is accurate with the time period of the mid 1700s
 

cyberdigger

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The exterior of the box is actually faux finished, but it's most likely the original finish..
 

Plumbata

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600 bucks was a steal! Great pickup Steve.

Beautiful box with splendid forged hardware, and the bottles are incredible! I imagine that the stoppers are original?

Would it be reasonable to assume that the bottles are at least a few years older than the inscribed date of 1746?
 

Wangan

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The sign in front of the house says Dutch house? I would love to tour it.I wouldn`t doubt that the box stayed there at one time!The whole box set is just amazing! Thank you for showing it again.
 

Steve/sewell

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Stephen (plumbata) the decanters are period mid 1700s to late 17oos.Some were missing when I picked this up and I am always on the look out for a few that will fill the three empty slots.Two quarts and one pint will do it.Here are some higher resolution pictures.

A3E85A5136794B8FB56D541234B89707.jpg
 

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33BD5B730C954C4D82F63D872CBE97A2.jpg
 

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