Casket
1300-1400 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Carved oak with traces of gilding. The interior of the lid painted with the Coronation of the Virgin and the symbols of the Four Evangelists. The mounts are of gilt copper set with armorial medallions in champlevé ornament. Said to have come from the church of the Holy Trinity at Eu in Normandy.
Each of the four sides of the box (with the exception of the front which has two) is carved with three medallions and the top with nine medallions of geometrical tracery all of different designs. Along the top and bottom of the four sides and the front and back of the lid is a band of quatrefoils. The mounts along the front and two sides consist of two wedge-shaped bands terminating with fleur-de-lys and united on the bottom of the box; on the corners are angle pieces having each two openwork cusped lancets, the four lancets on the front being of double lights with trefoils above. At each corner below the angle pieces is a knob foot. The two bands on the back are hinged to similar bands on the lid, and on the edge of the lid are two more bands hinged to the back. The two centre bands are each interrupted by two circular medallions and the edge bands by two semi-circular medallions in the champlevé enamel on silver with the arms, agure, a fesse between six étoils of five points argent. In the centre of the lid is a handle with a hexagonal moulded knop and two lion masks at the junction with the hinge-bands. Round the front and sides of the lid is an openwork arcading. There is a hasp on the lid; the lock-plate in front is missing. The interior of the lid has in the centre a circular medallion painted with the Coronation of the Virgin in black and gold on a red ground; and four smaller medallions at the angles similarly painted with the evangelists each inscribed. The ground of the lid and interior of white gesso on fine linen is divided into squares with dotted decoration and bears traces of red colouring.
Each of the four sides of the box (with the exception of the front which has two) is carved with three medallions and the top with nine medallions of geometrical tracery all of different designs. Along the top and bottom of the four sides and the front and back of the lid is a band of quatrefoils. The mounts along the front and two sides consist of two wedge-shaped bands terminating with fleur-de-lys and united on the bottom of the box; on the corners are angle pieces having each two openwork cusped lancets, the four lancets on the front being of double lights with trefoils above. At each corner below the angle pieces is a knob foot. The two bands on the back are hinged to similar bands on the lid, and on the edge of the lid are two more bands hinged to the back. The two centre bands are each interrupted by two circular medallions and the edge bands by two semi-circular medallions in the champlevé enamel on silver with the arms, agure, a fesse between six étoils of five points argent. In the centre of the lid is a handle with a hexagonal moulded knop and two lion masks at the junction with the hinge-bands. Round the front and sides of the lid is an openwork arcading. There is a hasp on the lid; the lock-plate in front is missing. The interior of the lid has in the centre a circular medallion painted with the Coronation of the Virgin in black and gold on a red ground; and four smaller medallions at the angles similarly painted with the evangelists each inscribed. The ground of the lid and interior of white gesso on fine linen is divided into squares with dotted decoration and bears traces of red colouring.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | oak, copper, carving, gilding |
Brief description | Oak casket, France, 1300-1400 |
Physical description | Carved oak with traces of gilding. The interior of the lid painted with the Coronation of the Virgin and the symbols of the Four Evangelists. The mounts are of gilt copper set with armorial medallions in champlevé ornament. Said to have come from the church of the Holy Trinity at Eu in Normandy. Each of the four sides of the box (with the exception of the front which has two) is carved with three medallions and the top with nine medallions of geometrical tracery all of different designs. Along the top and bottom of the four sides and the front and back of the lid is a band of quatrefoils. The mounts along the front and two sides consist of two wedge-shaped bands terminating with fleur-de-lys and united on the bottom of the box; on the corners are angle pieces having each two openwork cusped lancets, the four lancets on the front being of double lights with trefoils above. At each corner below the angle pieces is a knob foot. The two bands on the back are hinged to similar bands on the lid, and on the edge of the lid are two more bands hinged to the back. The two centre bands are each interrupted by two circular medallions and the edge bands by two semi-circular medallions in the champlevé enamel on silver with the arms, agure, a fesse between six étoils of five points argent. In the centre of the lid is a handle with a hexagonal moulded knop and two lion masks at the junction with the hinge-bands. Round the front and sides of the lid is an openwork arcading. There is a hasp on the lid; the lock-plate in front is missing. The interior of the lid has in the centre a circular medallion painted with the Coronation of the Virgin in black and gold on a red ground; and four smaller medallions at the angles similarly painted with the evangelists each inscribed. The ground of the lid and interior of white gesso on fine linen is divided into squares with dotted decoration and bears traces of red colouring. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label |
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Credit line | Given by Murray Marks |
Object history | Given by Murray Marks, 57 Egerton Grove (12/4405) who bought it for £50, for presentation to the Museum, from F.S. Cooper of 21 Parliament Street, Hull. 'Damaged, hinge broken, portions loose & lock missing' The casket was subsequently loaned to the South Kensington Museum by W. Sampson Hodgkinson 30 May 1862-16 Jan 1868. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | W.38-1912 |
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Record created | June 13, 2008 |
Record URL |
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