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 Sei in: Marine Antiques > Sailors Sea Chests
 Sailors Sea Chests

 


The sailors sea chests and luggage with sailors' personal belongings, were found at the foot of the berths, and often under the lower bunks.They are simple, 1 meter by 50 cm, roughly shaped like the frustum of a cone, wider at the bottom and sloped inwards toward the top.  This shape was to give the chest added stability in case of ship rolling. They had short square feet to avoid damp and water especially in deck rooms. Handles were made with some lash which was hand worked by the sailor himself, or made with two wire rings sealed holding two wood tablets screwed to the chest. Usually, the cover has side edges, but not on the front. An iron hinge is inserted in a ring with a shackle. The inside of the lids were often painted with the portrait of the ship and the sailor used to carve his name with a knife. With good weather, sailors would carry their chests to the deck to check their possessions and to air their underwear, which was constantly humid because it was washed with sea water. Sea chests often included one or two drawers in the upper part right under the lid: here sailors used to keep small and important items, while in the rest of the chest, they stored perfectly folded clothes. These sea chests would follow sailors throughout their career.


 

 





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