Casket (cofanetto or scrigno)
Unknown
1575–1600 · Beechwood, ebony, painted and decorated with incrustation of mother-of-pearl, ivory with gilding; miniatures: gouache on parchment; lined with later fabric · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Richly decorated with shimmering tablets of painted mother-of-pearl and gilded ivory, this casket incorporates gouaches showing mythological themes that celebrate female beauty. These depictions, combined with the fact that the lid originally enclosed a mirror, indicate that this cofanetto held toilet articles. The exterior framework is painted alla dasmaschina, showing decorative patterns resembling those used to embellish Saracenic steel. [Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide, 2010]
- Artist
- Unknown
- Date
- 1575–1600
- Medium
- Beechwood, ebony, painted and decorated with incrustation of mother-of-pearl, ivory with gilding; miniatures: gouache on parchment; lined with later fabric
- Culture
- Italian, Venice
- Department
- European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
- Credit line
- Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
