hufolk1-4, Exercise 2: The dowry chest

Model answer:

A dowry chest was a wooden chest, often painted with flowers and sometimes a name and date, in which a bride's linen and textiles were stored and carried to her new home. It mattered because it held the household's accumulated work (embroidery, weaving, bedding), displayed the family's skill and means, and stood in the clean room as a visible piece of furniture (see Chapter 2).