Rich or Modest – Analysis and Reconstruction of the Appearance of a Child’s Coffin from 1779 from the Church of St. Nicholas in Gniew (Pomerania Province, Poland)

Abstract

Research conducted in churches provides more and more information about the funeral culture in the Baroque. The basic elements of a funeral were wooden coffins, in which bodies were buried. They were prepared for the funeral in different ways. The simplest were ordinary boxes made of planed boards. What draws attention, however, are those with additional elements on the outside. This child’s coffin found in the central nave between the chancel and the first pillar was decorated with artificial flowers made of wire imitating golden wire. These flowers drew the attention of the research team to the unique ornamentation of the coffin. The next stage of the work involved cleaning the studs found (three types), and then analysing the unusual structures on their underside. This revealed two types of cloth stuck to metal. All the information gathered allowed to prepare three variants of the appearance of the coffin with the year 1779 studded with one of the stud types. Considering the above, it was concluded that the child’s burial was rich, and that the coffin decorations were exceptionally sumptuous.