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Cassone

Cassone

  • Place of origin:

    Rome, Italy (possibly, made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1550 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Carved walnut, parcel gilt

  • Museum number:

    4414-1857

  • Gallery location:

    In store

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Cassone (literally 'large boxes') were the main form of storage in Italy throughout the 16th century. They were associated with weddings and often included the arms of the married couple. By about 1550, it had become more fashionable to carve rather than paint cassoni. They were decorated with mythological themes, often derived from murals by Raphael, Michelangelo and Giulio Romano in the palaces and villas of cardinals and noblemen in or near Rome. This example is decorated with winged amorini pulled in chariots by mythical animals, probably representing the Roman Gods, like those in the decorations of the Villa Lante, painted by Giulio Romano (1499 - 1546) in about 1520.

Place of Origin

Rome, Italy (possibly, made)

Date

ca. 1550 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Carved walnut, parcel gilt

Dimensions

Height: 63 cm, Width: 185.5 cm, Depth: 57 cm

Descriptive line

Of carved walnut, parcel gilt

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

H.Avray Tipping, Italian furniture of the Italian Renaissance as represented at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Country Life March 31st 1917, pp. 3-8

Labels and date

CHEST (CASSONE)
Carved walnut, partly gilt
ITALIAN (ROMAN); mid 16th century
Centre: an unidentified shield of arms supported by two putti.
On either side: putti driving chariots, drawn by dogs (left) and bulls (right).
4414-1857 [4/1992]
CASSONE
Walnut with gesso and gilding
ITALIAN; about 1560
4414-1857

From about 1550, cassoni (literally large boxes), used forstorage and often associated with marriage, were being carved rather than painted. This cassone is decorated with amorini driving dogs and bulls in strapwork cartouches. Mythological and ancient historical themes were popular, often deriving from engravings of paintings by Raphael and Michelangelo, or illustrations to popular versions of classical texts. The provenance and coat-of-arms are unknown, but museum records indicate that this cassone came from Florence. [Pre-2006]

Production Note

There is no information about the cassone in the early catalogue. JOhn Hungerfold Pollen claims that it was Florentine, but whether it came from a Florentine palazzo or Florence-based dealer is not clear. It is similar to a cassone that bears the arms of the Roman family, Delfini (Museum No. 4416 - 1857).

Materials

Walnut; Gold leaf; Gesso

Techniques

Carving; Gilding; Joinery

Subjects depicted

Chariots

Categories

Furniture

Collection code

FWK

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Qr_O109264
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