Mainly made in the locksmith city of Nuremberg, privateer chests – also called Nuremberg chests or Marine chests – were produced in large numbers in the 17th century during the heyday of the privateering. The latter, well known to amateurs of piracy, was a practice of maritime warfare consisting, on the part of a belligerent, in giving to private individuals the authorization to arm merchant ships in war to run sus of one or more adversaries.

Nuremberg Chest: Privateer Safes

Inspired by the safe on land, the Nuremberg safe was used to store gold and silver coins making up the sailors’ pay, but above all to protect precious paper documents such as maritime charts, party charters (the deed proof of the conclusion of a maritime charter contract) or the bills of lading (the declaration containing a state of the goods loaded on a boat) of fire or rat damage.

Nuremberg chest, XVIIth century, now on display at the Dubrovnick Rector's Palace in Croatia
Nuremberg chest, XVIIth century, now on display at the Dubrovnick Rector's Palace in Croatia

A few years ago, we presented this studded-nail iron chest-clad, painted with arabesque and flower motifs on all sides. Now on display at the Rector’s Palace in Dubrovnick, Croatia, this chest has a seven-bolt lock system. The rods of the two solid side handles have been hot-fitted and are therefore unremovable. They are twisted in the middle then folded at each end in a horizontal position.

Handle of the 17th century Nuremberg chest displayed at the Dubrovnick Rector's Palace in Croatia.
Handle of the 17th century Nuremberg chest displayed at the Dubrovnick Rector's Palace in Croatia.

In this way, the handles, once lifted, lock onto the side walls, preventing carriers from getting their hands stuck. On the front, the mobile legs chiseled with rafters act as a mortise that engages in the rings of the lid. A rod could then be threaded through the rings and padlocked at the end. This additional precaution is explained by the capricious nature of the centrally controlled lock system which, despite regular and careful lubrication, could sometimes weaken in the face of marine corrosion. The rod provided the owner with additional protection.

Nuremberg chest, XVIIth century, now on display at the Dubrovnick Rector's Palace in Croatia

Also to guarantee its inviolability, the chest was fixed at the bottom to the floor of the captain’s cabin. However, as this type of chest was not used exclusively on ships, it could just as well be bolted to the floor beams of a castle.

Marine Safe: Clever Locks to Guarantee Security

A feigned keyhole in hammered iron in the shape of a shell, rosette or foliage was regularly applied to the front face of the chest. Its only purpose was to discourage potential thieves: trying to force such a lock proved impossible since the real opening system is located elsewhere! The real lock is accessed on the lid by means of a secret key allowing the doorway of the lock to be released, by delicately lifting a false rivet.

The lock system is always positioned on the back of the lid and over its entire surface. The seven bolts of our safe are activated with the turn of a key, which is a ring with a solid rod and a bit with two crenellated openings. The chest is then kept open with an iron bar and this system is found on all the chests of Nuremberg.

Chest made in Nuremberg in 1724 by Johann Georg Ott © Museum of Art and History of Geneva
Chest made in Nuremberg in 1724 by Johann Georg Ott © Museum of Art and History of Geneva

The interior was regularly equipped with a small trunk welded to the metal siding. On the back of the lid on the most ornate chests, the locking system was concealed behind an ornamental openwork screen in chiseled metal with a floral motif and often engraved with the date of manufacture of the chest. The generous decoration of these screens (probably brought back) must be related to the taste of the period which saw them born.

17th or 18th century navy chest © Musée national de la Marine
17th or 18th century navy chest © Musée national de la Marine

The majority of these chests were made in Germany and then decorated in Holland, but Spain (notably the locksmith city of Toledo) and France also produced them in the same style, which may explain the recurrence of floral and plant motifs on these objects.

Today, the rarity of locksmith systems in perfect working order makes these chests real objects of curiosity, which is why the one we offered was quickly acquired by the Dubrovnick museum.

Marielle Brie
Art Historian for Art Market and Cultural Media
Author of the blog Objets d’Art et d’Histoire