Cassone
- Place of origin:
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
- Order this image
By about 1450, Italian marriage chests or cassone were frequently decorated with Greek and Roman love stories. Tales from the Bible were less common but the most popular biblical theme - and the one painted on this example - was the meeting between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, because of its romantic connotations. The best known cassone painter in Florence at this time was Apollonio di Giovanni (about 1416 - 1465), and the composition of the main panel is similar to items produced in his workshop. By the1860s, there was such a strong demand for 15th century Italian marriage chests that surviving examples (like this one) were heavily restored and new chests often built round painted panels that had been removed from their original settings.
Place of Origin
Florence (made)
Date
1450-1475 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown
Materials and Techniques
tempera on walnut
Dimensions
Height: 97.5 cm
Width: 213.3 cm
Depth: 31 cm
Object history note
Purchased in 1862 for £80
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
James R. Lindow, For use and display: selected furnishings and domestic goods in 15th century Florentine interiors, Renaissance Studies vol. 19 no. 5 pp.634-646; FWK info section F4711
CALLMAN, Ellen: Apollonio di Giovanni. (Oxford, 1974), p.26, n.10, and p.29, n.21, and p.32 n.33
Listed under "Chests that have survived substantially in their original form...(mouldings below level of floor board modern, the whole chest regilded)". p.26
"The inside of the lid...is unique. It consists of three floral sprigs that are upright when the lid is open and look like enlargements of the sprigs used on mille-fleur tapestries. They are painted in soft pastel colours, not stencilled." p.29
Paul Schubring, Cassoni; truhen und truhenbilder der italienischen frührenaissance. ein beitrag zur profanmalerei im quattrocento (Leipzig: K.W. Hiersemann, 1915); cat. no. 193, plate XLI NAL Pressmark: NAL 47.E.219 (atlas 47.G.48)
193. London, Victoria & Albert Museum 1862, 7852. Plate XLI
The so called Dini-Cassone with the meeting of Salomos and the Queen of Saba.
The Cassone-master
On the left you can see the empty wagon with the golden baldachin. On the stays you see naked Amoretti (putti) with wings, also seated on the Trunks which the horses carry. Surrounded by six noble women, the richest Queen of the Orient is getting closer to the wisest ruler, (in front of the Templum Salomonis, there is an altar decorated with a golden) they shake hands. Surrounded by little naked boys holding a festoon above the roof of the temple. The Jews behind Salomon with urban and priests hat, are astonished by the ceremony. On the right there is the palace of Salomo,
where you can see girls looking out of the window.
On the upper left side of the picture, there is a little extra scene: where you see the Queen not wanting to cross the bridge because she already knows that this is made of the wood that will be later used for the cross of Jesus/redeemer.- on the side fields you see puttis playing all sorts of instruments.
Materials
Walnut; Gold leaf; Tempera
Techniques
Gilding; Painting; Joinery
Subjects depicted
Musicians; Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
Categories
Furniture; Woodwork
Production Type and Product Note
Unique
Collection code
FWK
