Tulip Chest – Guardian of Secrets

One of the most precious pieces among ethnographic objects and the guardian of brides´ secrets is the tulip chest which was once, and in some places still is, known as a significant piece of home furnishing. The drawings on the chest also carried the key elements of the region´s decorative culture.  

Our predecessors used to keep their valuable possessions and clothes in these chests which were made with the help of an axe, assembled with wooden pegs and decorated by either carvings or etchings. The decoration of each chest incorporated the characteristic colours and motifs of a particular region. The most beautifully decorated chests were referred to as tulip chests or bridal chests.

As their name already suggests, bridal chests were the ones in which young maidens collected their dowries. These did not only consist of woven textiles and pieces of clothing but also included books, their savings and jewellery, if they had any. The chests used to be secured as they usually also incorporated a lock, and remained a woman´s private property even after she got married.

In Prekmurje, the primary colours of tulip chests were red and ochre, while in the rectangle shaped fields of the decoration, the colours orange, blue, green, white and black were preferred and could be seen in the plant and flower motifs, most commonly tulips.

Nowadays, the tulip chest is experiencing a revival because many people use it as either storage equipment or seat furniture. With its uniqueness, the tulip chest creates a special interior atmosphere. The Solarič couple´s everyday is intertwined with their joy of creation, respect for traditions and their love of handicrafts. Their hands create the most beautiful eggs using the batik technique, and honey bread but, in addition to these, they also show a keen interest in furniture decoration. Therefore, with the greatest of pleasure, they continue to create traditional tulip chests with a slight modern twist…