# Old Norwegian trunk, dovetails and other musings



## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

My wife's family has an amazing Norwegian "cabin" ( I use that term loosely) that was built in the early '50's on an island off the coast of Maine. It is quite a magical place filled with carving very where, a sod roof and lots of antiques. One of the pieces I've always admired is a trunk that is used to store spare bedding.
This past summer I decided to take a closer look at it. I emptied it out and brought it outside to photograph. I was surprised at what I found.



















The basic dimensions are: 40" long, 18" high with 7 1/4" legs I believe added later, and 20 1/2" front to back. The boards are approx 7/8" thick . A 1" crown to the lid. Mitered dovetailed corners with a spacing about 3" 
The thing that really surprised me were the dovetails. They are really bad, with many shims and in more than one spot a shim driven into the pin instead of along side. But no matter it has survived a long time and continues on and I still like it.























































Now I've been a fan of almost all things Norwegian for a long time, I really admire their wooden boats, woodcarving, knife making to mame a few. My wife is half Norwegian, her mother grew up in Oslo and this fall she was excited to find this so She sent us a couple of cans. Bless her heart.



















I finally found something Norwegian I'm not fond of.
Jim


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Jim, cool chest! is the dating really 1765?


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Being a 1/4, I find this especially interesting. Thanks for posting. I am wondering about the date too??


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

I guess the maker was a better carver than he was a joiner. It's still a really cool piece.


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

That chest needs appraised and insured. 
The fishballs need to go back to Norway with a stern warning never to send them here again.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

That's really cool, thanks for sharing. Two positive things to say about the fish balls. At least they're in brine, not urine. Apparently that's a thing somewhere in Scandanavia, and two, at least they're made of fish instead of being a fish's crown jewels kinda like rocky mountain oysters.


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

An exceptional chest, the carving, the dovetails…..wow
FISH BALLS…................yummy


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Beautiful chest, I'm wondering if the feet were added later, doesn't seem to me to be the level of craftsmanship as the rest of the chest. Maybe it's just the pictures. Thanks for posting.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Great chest. I'd pass on the fish balls.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

I personally do not know how to date a Norwegian made trunk so what you see is what I've got. Do I believe it is that old? Yes. I believe the feet are not original, they could have been added when my wife's grandmother acquired it in the early '50's. 
Those fish balls were bought in the US, my MIL lives in Mass. So can't send them back. We did try them, they tasted like fish flavored dumplings. I doubt we will have the second can.
I'll post up some more photos. In a few minuets.
Jim


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## dawsonbob (Aug 5, 2013)

I think the thing is gorgeous (the chest, not the fish balls). I've been researching chests and furniture (Spanish) made from about 1600 through around 1850, and that chest - other than the carvings - does fit the 1765 date pretty well. Love it (the chest, not the fish balls).


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Thanks Dawson. Here are some more photos, no fish balls. Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the key because it is very ornate. It was removed for safe keeping because the house was rented this past summer.























































Jim


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## dawsonbob (Aug 5, 2013)

Wow. Just simply… wow. All the construction details fit the period very well. The ironwork fits the period, too, although from the picture it looks like a screw in one shot (which would have been put in later). In that period screws were virtually nonexistent in furniture, except for very high-end stuff made in large cities for the very wealthy. Even then, they were rare. Nails, too, were seldom used: pegs, like in your picture were the standard. I can just about close my eyes and see that chest as it must have looked when it was new. Love the chip carving, too. All in all, a great old chest. Wish it were here in San Diego, so I could see it in person.


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## pjped (Feb 25, 2011)

Jim that's beautiful, thanks for sharing. -pete


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

Unbelievable piece … 248 years old and still hanging in! I love the carving and how they have aged!

At one time live in Illinois just south of Monroe Wisconsin where some Norwegian chipcarvers/cabinet makers did some demos of there work at one of the city art fair. Considering the tools the limit themselves to use the work is outstanding. I could watch those chipcarvers for hours as they make art!


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

You're welcome Pete and everyone else that has responded. I should do a post on the house itself sometime it really is breath taking for a woodworker. There are other trunks and carved antiques throughout the house. If you have the book Built in Furniture by Jim Tolpin the carved built-in beds are shown in the book but he gives no credit to where he got the photos (I know) and claims no knowledge of builder or nothin'. Which really pissed me off, because we know everything about the house. Ok rant over.
Jim


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

Lovely piece Jim. I like Norwegian carving a lot. Mike (Stefang) showed an old Norwegian chest some time ago.

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/10295

There are a number of similarities. Mike lives in Norway and might be able to tell you a bit more about it.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Thanks for the link Andy, I'll check it out. I expect mike to be along when he gets a chance.
Jim


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hi Jim. I have been to many regional museums in Norway and this chest looks absolutely genuine for the carving, the metalwork and the general appearance of the wood. we have lots of old chests like this here. The chip carved motif is also pretty typical for the period. Everything looks authentic to me including the date, except for the base of course. Here is a photo of one I took at one of the museums about 4 years ago. this was in Setesdal which is about a 3hour drive from where we live. It is a long valley that runs from the southern tip of Norway up to Hardangervidda in the North, which is a big national park.










Fishballs were the first meal I had after arriving in Norway the first time in Feb. 1971. They were much smaller than these, about 3/4" in diameter. They were served with an equal no. of meatballs the same size in a white sauce with capers on top and in some baked pastry shells (like big half clam shells. It was really good and we still have that occasionally. The fish balls, which come in different sizes are made from ground white fish , usually Haddock and mixed with flour, eggs and milk. There are different ways to prepare them, but we normally have them in white sauce. Another version is fish pudding which is like a small bread loaf and it is normally served sliced, again in white sauce.


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

Wow! Very cool. Really amazing representation of Norwegian work. It would've looked 10 times better if it were Swedish! Just kidding. I've seen a few like that in the Swedish history museum in Gothenburg. They didn't use the dovetails though if I remember correctly


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

That is my kind of antique, good honest work. Look around the cabin you might find a Hardanger

The Norwegians also came up with the Hardanger fiddle. I think it's the long winters. 8 strings, 4 run thru the bridge and under the finger board. They vibrate when the top strings are bowed.

http://larkinam.com/Hardanger.html

Hardanger music. Lovely guy, sweet tune. I can almost smell the fish balls in white sauce.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Hi Mike good to hear from you. That is a nice chest you took a picture of. I like that the background is stained or painted. 
As to the fish balls…. We had them with a white sauce as you describe but I'm just not fond of them. Now if someone else made them for me the next time I'm in Norway I'd give them another chance. 
Kaleb what is the deal with the rivalry between those two countries anyway. Never really understood that.
Jim


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Bill, no hardanger fiddle in the family. Actually kind of surprised by that. I love those fiddles. There is a Langelaik, similar to our mountain dulcimer. I actually measured it up and drew a set of plans for it.

Shall I send you that extra can of fish balls?
Jim


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

Jim it's definitely not meant to be mean; more of a friendly rivalry. Well I guess they used to war but that was a while ago. Now it's turned into say a Norwegian does something stupid his friends say "That's a real Swedish thing to do" and vice versa.

There are jokes back and forth such as the Norwegian who went camping and it rained all night. The next morning he checked his matches to see if they would start his fire later. He struck the matches individually and the ones that worked he kept and put back in the box, the ones that didn't he threw away. It's something to talk about when a Swede and a Norwegian meet.

Just so you know I married a Norwegian, so I guess our kids will be fighting


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## yuridichesky (Jan 9, 2013)

Very interesting, thank you.

What kind of wood is it?


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Kaleb I knew it was friendly, no worries. Friendly or not it is brought up whenever the oppotunity presents itself. That's a good one about the matches. 
Jim


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

Jim, surely there must be someone more deserving than I for the fish balls!


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## fumehappy (Mar 26, 2012)

That's a beautiful chest, hands down.
As for the balls I bet the fish would like them back.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Awesome, Jim, thanks for sharing all the photos! That chest is gorgeous, and looks stout enough for another 100 years! I've been reading a lil of Peter Follansbe lately…everything looks better with chip carving! 

Now…back to me birch ply tool chest…kinda dis-appointing to think of my completed chest after seeing that piece of art! But, I have a feeling, the chest you posted wasn't the FIRST made by that maker! Sure wish he had signed it…

Down South here in Alabama, the fish don't have balls…I've checked…


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

That is a beautiful chip carved chest. I absolutely love old pieces like that. Thanks for posting.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

Thank you Jim. I'd love to see more of the house if you find the time.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

Oh, I have my glasses on, can see the signature now. lol

+1 on wanting to see more of the cabin as time allows…


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## Texcaster (Oct 26, 2013)

+1 for the cabin.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

+2.5 for cabin pics. We are on the coast of Maine every summer at Mt Desert Island so I understand Maine island scenery.


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Here is a teaser shot of the front of the house.










The eave detail.










And the sauna, it's Norwegian there has got to be a sauna.










I will do a spread on the house but it will be a week or so, I'm heading out of town fo a couple of days.
Jim


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Really cool! the chest and the cabin. thanks for sharing.


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

The chest is magnificent! 
Mitered dovetails are not the easiest thing to cut by hand, so I cut the cabinet maker a little slack. As for the carving it is a treasure.

Fish balls are really mild - Try eating lutefisk that has been prepared by a sea going cook… Wikipedia says "Lutefisk prepared from cod is, somewhat notorious, for its intensely offensive odor" 
A long time ago I worked on a Norwegian freighter so………


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## Boatman53 (May 21, 2012)

Yea, not going near lutefisk. I have a mug that says I support catch and release for lutefisk. A friend of mine in town worked on a fishing boat out of Norway, it had a big one lung engine. He doesn't miss it.
Jim


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## AnthonyReed (Sep 20, 2011)

Wow that is an intriguing teaser; the front columns, the eves, the roofing material and cupola on the sauna….


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

That's a very interesting and beautiful chest.

As to your comment about the mediocre quality of the dovetails, that's really not surprising for an old piece like this. Dovetails were originally considered a utilitarian rather than an ornamental joint. They were used because they were strong and practical, and craftsmen didn't pay much attention to making them pretty. If they were used in a piece of fine furniture, they were often hidden with a decorative molding of some sort.

It's only been in more recent times that perfect-fitting dovetails have come to be viewed as an indicator of fine craftsmanship.


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