Cassone thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Cassone

1500-1550 (made)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

Cassone, chestnut(?) wood, oblong with raised lid, and with panels, bands and pilasters decorated with flowers and foliage in raised stucco, gilt. Bands also of gilt foliage on a dark ground. It rests on four claw feet.


Object details

Categories
Furniture
Containers
Renaissance (Italian)
Medieval and Renaissance
Object type
Cassone
Brief description
Italian 16th century, wood with gesso, gilded
Physical description
Cassone, chestnut(?) wood, oblong with raised lid, and with panels, bands and pilasters decorated with flowers and foliage in raised stucco, gilt. Bands also of gilt foliage on a dark ground. It rests on four claw feet.
DimensionsDimensions from catalogue: H. 2 ft. 8 in., W. 5 ft. 7 in., D. 2 ft. 1.5 in., (81 x 170 x 64. 7 cm)
Gallery label
  • Label text c.1930 while displayed in Tapestry Court: South-East Block. South Side. [gallery 44 ‘East Central Court’ c.1909-1952] MARRIAGE CHEST (cassone) Chestnut wood with gilt gesso reliefs. ITALIAN; 16th century. Formerly in the Castellani Collection. 718-1884. (1930)
  • CHEST (CASSONE). Carved and gilt gesso on chestnut. VENETIAN (?); 16th century. 718-1884(pre-2006)
  • CHEST (CASSONE) Carved and gilt gesso on chestnut VENICE?; 1500-1600 718-1884 A cassone, meaning literally a large box, was used for storage. Chests were the most important form of domestic storage until the 17th century in all European countries. Highly decorative cassoni were usually associated with marriage and often contained the bride's clothes, linen and other valuables in her new home. Their lavishly carved, painted or gilded decoration bore witness to the status and wealth of the woman.(pre-2006)
Object history
Bought from Rome, Per Messrs Macbean & Messrs McCracken (part of the Castellani Collection) for £34. 10s. (R.P. 7803/1883)
Bibliographic references
  • Frieda Schottmüller, Furniture and Interior Decoration of the Italian Renaissance, (Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann, 1928), fig.85 [cited in comparison with a very similar cassone - 'Venice about 1550. Table chest with Gilded Stucco Reliefs. Arts and Crafts Museum, Frankfort on Maine']
  • William M. Odom, A History of Italian Furniture (New York, 1918), fig.105
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
718-1884

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O370137/cassone/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest