Cassone thumbnail 1
Cassone thumbnail 2
+4
images
Not on display

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Cassone

1500-1600 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown (makers)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

Coffer of carved walnut, picked out with gilding. On the front are two female figures representing Spring and Summer, and cupids supporting a shield of arms

Object details

Categories
Furniture
Containers
Renaissance (Italian)
Medieval and Renaissance
Object type
Cassone
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Cassone
  • Key
Materials and techniques
Walnut
Carving
Gilding
Brief description
Cassone, Italian, 16th century, carved walnut
Physical description
Coffer of carved walnut, picked out with gilding. On the front are two female figures representing Spring and Summer, and cupids supporting a shield of arms
Dimensions
  • Height: 71.1cm
  • Width: 172.7cm
  • Depth: 33cm
Dimensions from catalogue (HWD): 2ft 4ins. X 5ft 8ins. X 1ft 1ins. (71.1 x 172.7 x 33 cm)
Gallery label
(Pre-2006)
CHEST (cassone)
Carved wood, picked out with gilding
ITALIAN; 1500-1600
7706-1861

On the front, two reclining female figures, signifying Spring and Summer, and putti supporting a shield-of-arms
Object history
Bought for 23L. 1s.
See damage RF 2001/216 –large scratch to top surface – front right side.

Associated object
7707-1861 (Pair)
Bibliographic references
  • Andrea Palladio, 1508-1580 : the portico and the farmyard / catalogue by Howard Burns in collaboration with Lynda Fairbairn and Bruce Boucher, London 1975, cat. no. 92
  • Paul Schubring, Cassoni; truhen und truhenbilder der italienischen frührenaissance. ein beitrag zur profanmalerei im quattrocento (Leipzig: K.W. Hiersemann, 1915), p. 855
  • 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.135-136 “ COFFER. Carved walnut wood, picked out with gilding. On the front are two female recumbent figures, emblematical of Spring and Summer, and Cupids supporting a shield of arms. Italian. 16th century. H. 2 Ft. 4. in., L. 5 ft. 8 in., W. I ft. 10 in. Bought, 23L. 1s. This and the three pieces immediately following may be studied as specimens of the finest work put upon furniture, or indeed executed in any form in Florence or Rome during the days of Raphael and his immediate pupils, of whom these designs are every way worthy both for grace and classic refinement of modelling and for care in execution. It must be remembered that the material, walnut wood, has been cut with sharp tools, and that little has been left for files or sand paper, that the cleanness and decision of the work must be looked at in order fairly to estimate the inimitable skill of the carvers. The figures of Spring and Summer are recumbent and occupy the (pace lengthwise. Smaller standing figures on a reduced scale (to stand in the same panel) hold cornucopiae, one of flowers and the other of wheatears. As in the two following numbers the carving and decoration are cut out of a large block or slab of walnut wood, not out of a piece framed in a panel in the usual way. We may decide from this that the sculpture has been worked by an artist apart and made up into a chest subsequently.
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
7706:1-1861

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O368614/cassone-unknown/
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