My New (Old) Hope Chest

[imoldfashioned]

I fulfilled a longtime dream this weekend when my 1940s vintage Lane Hope Chest was delivered. My grandmother had a lovely one but when she died I wasn't in a position to take a piece of furniture, alas.

The color and veneer treatment on this one matches my bedroom set very well and aside from one small veneer chip it is in great condition. Best of all, when I opened the lid that wonderful cedar smell perfumed the air.

I don't have a set of china, linens and a sweetheart pin to put into it but my sweaters will be safe from now on. Does anyone else have a vintage cedar chest?

Please forgive the quality of the photograph, my digital camera is quickly dying.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

That's a beautiful waterfall chest.:eusa_clap

 

[Harp]

Hope Chest

Just exquisite, a beautiful chest.:eusa_clap

 

[Snookie]

Congratulations on your new chest! It's really pretty.

Here's my husband's chest. I've never thought of it as a hope chest before, since he inherited it from his grandfather, and I'm not sure if it's cedar, but it's certainly vintage! Grandpa brought it back from his military travels -- we're not sure which country it's from exactly or even which decade, but we have several items he accumulated during the Korean War, so it's probably at least from the 50's.

We store family heirlooms and personal treasures in it.

 

[Harp]

Asian Chest

Congratulations on your new chest! It's really pretty.

Here's my husband's chest. I've never thought of it as a hope chest before, since he inherited it from his grandfather, and I'm not sure if it's cedar, but it's certainly vintage! Grandpa brought it back from his military travels -- we're not sure which country it's from exactly or even which decade, but we have several items he accumulated during the Korean War, so it's probably at least from the 50's.

We store family heirlooms and personal treasures in it.

Your hope chest is beautiful and appears, of course to be Asian.
It does not appear to be made from rosewood, which would lean more
toward China. And the bottom owl wing claws seem more modern Japanese
design than traditional simple Chinese blocks. Oak, walnut, cedar, maple, or pine,
with the owl wing claws would tend to indicate post-war Japanese manufacture.
Just my late-nite guess.

 

[Snookie]

Thanks, Harp, for the info! We'll have to take a closer look and see what the wood is. My husband has said it might be from Japan, but we had no idea what decade. By post-war, do you mean WWII? (I mentioned the Korean War, so I'm not sure.)

I, obviously, have no knowledge about this kind of furniture, and had no idea that something as simple as the type of claw feet and wood could go so far in identifying a piece! Thanks!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Pretty cool, ...any sort of identifying writing or labels on it?

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I fulfilled a longtime dream this weekend when my 1940s vintage Lane Hope Chest was delivered. My grandmother had a lovely one but when she died I wasn't in a position to take a piece of furniture, alas.

The color and veneer treatment on this one matches my bedroom set very well and aside from one small veneer chip it is in great condition. Best of all, when I opened the lid that wonderful cedar smell perfumed the air.

I don't have a set of china, linens and a sweetheart pin to put into it but my sweaters will be safe from now on. Does anyone else have a vintage cedar chest?

Please forgive the quality of the photograph, my digital camera is quickly dying.

That's nothing less than astonishing!
Top notch piece of workmanship.

 

[Harp]

Follow-up Note

Thanks, Harp, for the info! We'll have to take a closer look and see what the wood is. My husband has said it might be from Japan, but we had no idea what decade. By post-war, do you mean WWII? (I mentioned the Korean War, so I'm not sure.)

I, obviously, have no knowledge about this kind of furniture, and had no idea that something as simple as the type of claw feet and wood could go so far in identifying a piece! Thanks!

I would guess that your relative acquired this chest in Tokyo or
Yokohama, and that its probable manufacture occured some time
during the post-WWII US occupation. Its wood may not be indigenous
to Japan for this reason, and perhaps was sourced from American lumber
supply stock. Local artisians, eager to make a quick profit; or an
established furniture manufacturer, might have turned the chest out
during the initial push to restart the Japanese economy. Look inside the
chest at the floor panel for any imprimatur marking or other 'signature.'
What makes the piece most difficult to date are the bottom claws.
They are ornate, and their incorporation reveals a more complex feature
to what is a basic design. A far more simple claw/pedestal would
seemingly have been favored when considered against the postwar times
and circumstances. So the possibility of an earlier time, 1920-30s is
open, but the line etching and overall design would hold the date
around there.

 

[Wild Root]

imoldfashioned, that is one of the nicest Lane chests I've seen! I just adore the matched veneers! This chest is the best... I want one like it now!

Snookie, that's a swell chest too... I'm sure it is post WWII... side note: Even though the Korean War was called such, it really was a conflict apposed to a war. So, when the term "Post War" comes up, it means Post WWII... and "Pre-War" means pre-WWII.... just for information sake. But, that chest looks some what earlier then the 50's... but, then again things in Asia were being made the same for quite some time.

Man, I want a cedar chest now... Waaah!

=WR=

 

[LizzieMaine]

Some beautiful pieces there -- especially the Lane. I've always wanted one of those, but never found just the *right one.* I keep hoping, though.

I do still have the little Lane miniature hope chest that a local furniture company gave to all the girls in my senior class in high school -- it's a scale model of the full-sized chest, with the same wood and the same cedar lining, only small enough to sit on top of the dresser as a jewelry box. Lane gave these out to graduating girls for many years -- my mother still has hers, too -- but I don't imagine they still do it. It was a nice tradition while they did.

 

[Snookie]

LizzieMaine, your chest sounds darling! Do you know if those minature chests were for sale, or if they were only available as gifts from the company? Pretty neat if you could only get them as a graduating girl.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The way I remember it, all the graduating girls in the class got a coupon from the local Lane dealer -- and you could take it in and redeem it for the free miniature chest. While you were there, of course, the salesman would pitch you -- or more likely your parents -- on the idea of buying a full-sized model.

I got mine in 1981, but my sister, who graduated in 1985, didn't -- so I think the promotion must've been in its waning days by then.

These little chests are very easy to find on eBay, by the way -- they make very nice jewelry boxes!

 

[CherryRed]

The way I remember it, all the graduating girls in the class got a coupon from the local Lane dealer -- and you could take it in and redeem it for the free miniature chest. While you were there, of course, the salesman would pitch you -- or more likely your parents -- on the idea of buying a full-sized model.

I got mine in 1981, but my sister, who graduated in 1985, didn't -- so I think the promotion must've been in its waning days by then.

These little chests are very easy to find on eBay, by the way -- they make very nice jewelry boxes!

I have one of those too! I got the coupon and took it in to the furniture store. I graduated HS in 1990 so they did it as recently as that, at least in northeast PA.

 

[Gray Ghost]

I fulfilled a longtime dream this weekend when my 1940s vintage Lane Hope Chest was delivered. My grandmother had a lovely one but when she died I wasn't in a position to take a piece of furniture, alas.

The color and veneer treatment on this one matches my bedroom set very well and aside from one small veneer chip it is in great condition. Best of all, when I opened the lid that wonderful cedar smell perfumed the air.

I don't have a set of china, linens and a sweetheart pin to put into it but my sweaters will be safe from now on. Does anyone else have a vintage cedar chest?

Please forgive the quality of the photograph, my digital camera is quickly dying.

My mother has one almost exactly like the one you have. I will eventually get it, but it will be after she passes and I dont want it that bad. Hope you enjoy yours. It looks very nice.

GG