Official chest of the ropemaker

• painted wood and iron
• Wismar
• 1761
• length: 50.7 cm

The chest was one of the “sanctums” of the office. It contained the fraternity’s scrolls, members‘ documents, accounting books, money and the official crockery. It also had a symbolic value. As long as the chest was open nobody was allowed to leave the meeting, the senior journeyman speaking could not be interrupted, nobody could appear in front of the open chest with a “covered head“, cursing was forbidden and it was not permitted to play with cards or dice. Closing the chest signified the end of the official part of the meeting.