Coffer
ca. 1550 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Small chest, with hinged lid, on lion paw feet with a carved scrolled apron at the front. Carved on all show surfaces with architectural mouldings, guillloche ornament and on a front a cartouche supported by two angels in high relief.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Walnut, carved |
| Brief description | Coffer, carved walnut, Italian, mid-16th century |
| Physical description | Small chest, with hinged lid, on lion paw feet with a carved scrolled apron at the front. Carved on all show surfaces with architectural mouldings, guillloche ornament and on a front a cartouche supported by two angels in high relief. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Bought (no more information in register). Conservation consolidation of worm-eaten areas, 1988. |
| Historical context | Comparable objects Walnut coffer from the Conservatorio di San Lino 'for the relics of St Clement', Tuscany, 1550-1600, modified 1850-1900; Palazzo Davanzati, Florence inv. 180 Brunella Teodori, Simone Chiarugi, Jennifer Celani, Attraverso il Novecento – Le Collezioni del Museo di Palazzo Davanzati, 2. Gli Arredi (Through the Twentieth Century – The Collections of the Museum of Palazzo Davanzati, 2. Furniture (Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo, 2016), no. 80 (p.92) Hermitage: Chest (Cassone) with Raised Cover; Italy, Late 16th century; 65x132x48 cm Acquisition date: Entered the Hermitage in 1933; handed over from the former Museum of the Decorative and Applied Arts (the Central School of Technical Drawing of Baron A. L. Shtieglitz) ; Inventory Number: МБ-134 |
| Bibliographic reference | London, South Kensington Museum: Ancient and Modern Furniture & Woodwork in the South Kensington Museum, described with an introduction by John Hungerford Pollen (London, 1874), p. 142
Coffer. Wood. Carved with architectural mouldings supported on lion's paws. A tablet in front surmounted by cherubim, and supported by angels in high relief. Italian. 16th century. H. to centre of lid, 2 ft., L. 3 ft. 5 in., W. 1 ft. 5 in. Bought.
The decoration is wholly of an architectonic character. The carving is bold but too coarse for so small a piece of furniture unless intended only as a piece of room decoration to be seen at a distance and in connection with suitable doors and panelling. We may notice also the way the angle panels turn the corner, having the moulded stiles on the front and ends, and leaving the angle itself unprotected, a faulty construction showing how entirely the effect of the contraction of breadth in the middle and the increase made by the upper and lower moulding lines has been aimed at in place of a more natural and obvious cabinet making construction for framed wood work. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 7825-1861 |
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| Record created | February 23, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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