Host Storys: Béatrice Meili, Kilchleerau AG

Wedding chest finds wedding cupboard

It was a foggy day 10 years ago as I visited the scout’s flea market in the Schlosshof. Everything remembered me to the time as my grandma lived. An old steely watering can, a cupreous boiler, a washing line made of hemp rope, a wooden deck chair and a very old chest. It was the old chest that fascinated me: under a thick bulk of the dust I could figure out wonderful drawings and a slogan written by hand.

“No one wants this chest” told me a scout a bit contemptuous. When I asked how much does the chest cost, she answered me: “You can give how much you want”. I gave her 50 Swiss francs and told her, that I would like to buy the wooden deck chair and an old lamp as well. She took the 50 franks note and told me that the deck chair and the lamp where for free.

At home I removed carefully the dust from the chest and let the drawings and slogan appear again. I positioned the chest on a very cosy place in the dining room, where it acts as a sideboard.

Few days later, on a visit in the thrift shop, I accidentally ended up in the atelier of a carpenter for ancient furniture. In the remotest corner of this old farmer’s house I discovered a wonderful and very ancient cupboard, recently refurbished and newly painted.

A very long slogan decorated the cupboard. And yes, it was exactly this slogan that remembered me to the wonderful chest at home. I looked a bit more accurate and I discovered a name as well. On this cupboard there where the same name, the same date and the same slogan written as on my wooden chest. I stood in front of this cupboard, of course a bit astonished. The carpenter came on my side and told me: “This is an over 200 years old wedding cupboard. Very precious, and there is a chest that belongs to this cupboard that has the same drawings. Unfortunately she went lost!”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t say anything. However, I still didn’t buy the cupboard because it’s too beautifully refurnished and I couldn’t afford it. The carpenter still thinks the chest went lost in the years.

Béatrice Meili

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• Béatrice Meili from Kirchleerau AG
• Host Storys: Béatrice Meili, Kilchleerau AG