A whiff of cedar drew Mary from the hallway to poke her head into Alberta’s bedroom. In the middle of the rug, her daughter’s hope chest sat with its hinged top open. Alberta and seven-year-old Lucille were on their knees and peering inside. Mary walked in. The hope chest was rarely opened.
History Between the Pages
from Chapter 55, An Imperfect Woman
What’s an unmarried young woman to hope for? In Renaissance Italy, she hoped for a fortuitous marriage and stockpiled her bridal dowry in a cedar chest. Not just any chest, but an elaborate statement of her family wealth. Wed a well-heeled bride and she arrived with a well-stocked hope chest of clothing, linens, cooking accoutrements, dishware, and valuable items such as jewelry and family heirlooms. This tradition of not arriving empty-handed to the marriage bed also has roots in Germany, Scandinavia, India, and the Middle East.
History Behind the Pages:
Cedar has been the traditional wood of choice since the 1400’s, popular because of its fragrance and durability. Hope filled each chest in anticipation of a happy and fulfilling future as a wife, mother, and household manager.
The arrival of European immigrants to the American colonies introduced the long-standing tradition of hope chests in the early 18th century. These harbingers of marriage were also called a dowry chest, cedar chest, trousseau chest, or glory box. Women relied on these sturdy wooden boxes to protect their most valuable possessions: textiles and other wifely tools-of-their-trade.
Ornate decorations were relative. Wealthy homes proudly bestowed daughters with chests bedecked with carvings and impressive sculptural designs. Amish settlers created simple chests with ornate painted decorations. These collectable chests are considered works of art, made with great care and quality.
In the mid-20th century, the hope chest tradition was profitably marketed by Lane Furniture Company as a status symbol and family heirloom for families to buy for young girls. One decades long promotional tactic began in 1930: a free miniature cedar hope chest the size of a jewelry box to all senior girls graduating from high school.
As young women began to enjoy more life choices, the concept of a hope chest became a quaint relic of earlier times. At the beginning of the 21st Century, the hope chest had a lapse of popularity.
But in recent years this resilient wooden box is being rediscovered once again. Today, most furniture makers promote hope chests as designed to hold family heirlooms or as general storage.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Regardless, if a woman marries or not, a hope chest’s items can prepare her for a home of her own. After all, one can always use a good chest.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
