Coffret (Minnekästchen)

Unknown

ca. 1325–50 · Oak, inlay, and tempera; wrought-iron mounts · The Cloisters

The inside of this coffret's lid depicts Frau Minne, the German goddess of love, aiming and arrow at a young man. At right, he gives her his heart. The inscriptions have been interpreted as: "Gracious lady, I have surrendered," and "Lady send me solace, my heart has been wounded." The coffret embodies the notions of courtly love, a concept that developed during the feudal period and imagined romance as playful warfare between the suitor and beloved. The arms on the box may be those of the Berstett family of Alsace, Baden, and Austria.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1325–50

Medium

Oak, inlay, and tempera; wrought-iron mounts

Culture

German

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

Rogers Fund and The Cloisters Collection, by exchange, 1950