PS - just for fun, here are photos of the trunk. I loooove the wallpaper the inside is lined with.

I wonder if maybe you should take this to the painting or woodworking forums and ask for advice. My impression of ModPodge is that it is not very durable and would not stand up to abrasion as well as some sealers. I also don't know how it would do over what is on there now -- maybe okay, but maybe not. The pros on the other forums might be able to point you to something that would do the job better.

However, I would worry that there might be oils or other contaminants on the surface that would repel any finish you put on. You may have to clean it more thoroughly to get a good coat to stick, which means you may lose some of the surface you're trying to keep.

I am wondering why you would want to put your feet on a such nice piece of decoration. Its a conversation piece.

That's exactly why I bought it, Jem - I thought it was beautiful conversation piece, not to mention because it was more than sturdy enough to support my feet! In my very small living space, I need my larger conversation pieces to be functional, and I do like to put my feet up sometimes. :) Thanks for the advice, I will head over to woodworking!