This beautiful chest was also stored in our basement, wrapped lovingly in a flannel blanket. Originally it belonged to my DH’s spinster aunt.  Upon her death 10 years ago at the age of 82, it was given to our Julia. As Julia is still attending university on the other side of the country we have the chest in our care.
I decided to bring it out of the basement and into our bedroom. Â Â As a young girl in the 50′s I can remember my aunt’s having hope chest or in some cases “hopeless” according to my grandfather.
According to Wikipedia, this type of chest is used to collect items of clothing or household linen, by unmarried young women in anticipation of married life. It is also known as a hope chest, dowry chest, cedar chest. In the UK and Australia it was known as a glory box .   This type of chest was often inherited from one’s mother or aunt
The contents of typically included clothing ( such as a wedding dress), table linens, towels, bed linens, quilts and occasionally dishware. I think it is fitting that it now will hold quilts.
Young ladies were supposed to put their best handwork in there for their future home.