Minneapolis Institute of Art

Chest

Ivar Kvalen (Quallen)

Date

1777

Medium

Painted wood, iron

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This chest was made to commemorate the marriage of the artist’s daughter Sirid to Ola Iverson Lo. Ornate feather-like patterns frame each of Sirid’s initials, SIDQ—for Sirid Ivar’s Datter Quallen (Kvalen)—and the date, 1777. A dowry chest such as this would have been filled with clothing, linens, and valuables. In 1858, Sirid’s descendants brought the chest with them when they emigrated from Norway to Wisconsin. Europe

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