Casket lined with parchment and decorated with iron

"In the XIV century wooden board for furniture construction were not obtained by sawing, but roughing down with a hoe. The result was thick boards joined with a basic constructive system that gave, as a consequence, a not very resistant unions that needed a forged iron external reinforcement to help to fasten the ensemble.

Therefore the forge elements had a double function, structural and decorative. In the XV century the increasing use of the hydraulic saw made easier the improvement of fittings. Despite iron forge application kept their ornamental function they lost their constructive one.

This Gothic Catalan manufactured chest from the XV century is an example of this type of container furniture made with wooden posts, upholster by a polychrome skin with pigment mini that are still decorated with forge applications. In this case with straight and smooth triangular section tyres with circular expansions and wrought reinforcements.

Chests under lock and key, covered by wrought iron sheets were used to keep valuable objects, generally jewels and documents."