A Gothic oak table chest (document box) dating to the late 15th or early 16th century, from the Joris Onzea and Suzanne Govaerts collection, Flanders, Belgium.   The front is richly carved with Gothic tracery enclosing the crowned sacred monograms IHS and MA, representing Jesus and the Virgin Mary. IHS, derived from the first three letters of the Greek name for Jesus, became an especially prominent devotional emblem during the later Middle Ages.  The central panel is carved with a stylized flowering vessel, all within an arrangement strongly reminiscent of the tracery and ornament of late Gothic church architecture. 
 
Gothic chests, large and small, were made in England, France, and the low countries, and are mostly indistinguishable.
 
Width 23",  depth 12",  height 12".
 
Provenance:  Formerly in the collection of the noted Belgian collectors Joris Onzea and Suzanne Govaerts, whose remarkable collection was assembled over four decades beginning in the 1970s. Close friends of the renowned Belgian collector, dealer and designer Axel Vervoordt, the couple worked with him over many years in creating a collection that brought together objects from widely differing periods and cultures. Ancient art, early European furniture and decorative arts were displayed alongside Old Master, Asian, African and contemporary works, reflecting a shared appreciation for authenticity, simplicity and timeless design. The Onzea-Govaerts Collection was widely celebrated upon its dispersal in 2025.
 
Condition:  All original, including the hinges and lock, with working key, and probably untouched patina.  Age related wear, scratches, and chips (caused by the large ancient square nails), indicative of a 500-year-old piece.  Grooves in the interior front and back indicate where there was once a till and a narrow high shelf.