Medieval Mystery Chest

If you are to believe the legend, an English nobleman had the chest crafted in the 13th century to store his most prized possession. He commissioned it from a master artisan who was known for his intricate and beautiful works. However, unlike most patrons, the nobleman provided drawings with the exact specifications for the chest and instructed the artisan to follow them precisely. In his decades as a craftsman, the artisan had never seen such a design. It was wonderous and complex. He was captivated by the outward beauty of the iron work, dark wooden inlays and ornate golden embellishments. He was equally intrigued by the engineering that lied within the chest itself. This was a challenge for the established craftsman, and he agreed to the terms of the nobleman. He made it clear though that this would not be a quick build, and he would need time to complete the lavish chest.

True to his word, after many months, the chest was completed and delivered to the estate of the nobleman. He was thrilled, and upon inspection, was happy to see the artisan had meticulously followed his plans. The nobleman displayed his new chest prominently on the desk in his study.

Many visitors to the nobleman's home were intrigued by the chest and would ask him where he acquired the unique piece. His response was always the same. "I just picked it up in my travels; I could not say where," the nobleman would explain. No one was aware of the secret the chest held.

The years passed and the nobleman aged. He never married and had no family to share his possessions. The nobleman knew he soon would part this world, so he decided it was time to pass on his beloved chest. With that in mind, he penned a letter to his closest friend (outlining the true origins of the chest and the secret it contained), packaged it and had it sent off. Since that time the chest has passed from person to person, with only a select few knowing the how to unlock the mystery within.

While it be fun to say that I found the mysterious chest above, learned its secrets, and decided to recreate it in brick form would be fun...it probably would not be true. Probably...

The reality is that this is a somewhat ornate, decently sized, able to be used, 2024 piece, LEGO chest. Some may call it a treasure chest, which would also be accurate. I have attempted to fashion it in a way that resembles a medieval chest (or at least what someone thinks of from their favorite movie, television show, and/or role playing game set in the medieval time period).

The chest does have a secret section in it's top. To open it, one must find and assemble the pieces of the key, which are built into (or hidden inside) the set itself. A small section above the handle/ring in the front of the chest can be removed to reveal the key hole. Insert the key and give it a twist. The two sliding bolts unlock, and the top section descends to reveal what lies within.

My office shelves are covered with a variety of LEGO sets from a multitude of themes, and I truly enjoy them all (especially sets from the Ideas line). However, some of them might stick out a bit more than others if I had them sitting independently in the various rooms of my home. I wanted to create a set that could also be decorative piece (like the "Ship in a Bottle" - 21313/92177, "Typewriter" - 21327 or the sets in The LEGO Botanical Collection).

From an adult mindset, I believe it is a good sized set with a lot of (hopefully) interesting build techniques to keep a builder engaged. Additionally, the chest can be displayed outside of a larger LEGO collection and (potentially) blend in with other home décor. This set also has the added bonus as serving a practical purpose; it can be used to store small items. With internal dimensions of 31 studs (length) x 12 studs (width) x 13.5 studs (height), there is a good bit of space to store all sorts of personal "treasures".

From the child mindset, I could envision a lot of options for playability and imagination with this set. It's a "real" treasure chest that can actually hold items, and it even has a hidden compartment. Kids can go on an adventure in the backyard to find the lost (hopefully not buried) treasure with their friends. Alternatively, they too may just have personal "treasures" they want to keep hidden away inside their room in a mystery chest.

I truly believe there is something in this set for all ages!

Piece Count - 2024

Outer Dimensions -