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Not currently on display at the V&A

Box

1400-1500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Rectangular cassetta or coffret in wood, decorated with gesso, with a projecting base and cornice. On the front is depicted a battle scene, on the back an attack on a castle by land and sea, and on each end is a seated figure flanked by warriors beneath trees. The top has a centre panel with the Judgement of Solomon and figures of centaurs around the border. The interior is gilded.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Gilt pastiglia box
Brief description
Cassetta or coffret with pastiglia decoration. Italian, 1400-1500.
Physical description
Rectangular cassetta or coffret in wood, decorated with gesso, with a projecting base and cornice. On the front is depicted a battle scene, on the back an attack on a castle by land and sea, and on each end is a seated figure flanked by warriors beneath trees. The top has a centre panel with the Judgement of Solomon and figures of centaurs around the border. The interior is gilded.
Dimensions
  • Height: 7.5in
  • Length: 15in
  • Width: 11.5in
Dimensions taken from departmental notes
Gallery label
Small display curated by James Yorke, gallery 126, 1984-1985 The judgement of Solomon is represented on the lid, in as all’antica guise: this derives ultimately from Mantegna. The narrative is framed in laurel and berries and surrounded by centaurs, putti and masks. The front represent an equestrian battle, with combatants holding aloft banners marked “C” (possible meaning Carthage), the back possibly the battle of Zama (the “C” banners are repeated and the “A” in the cartouche could well stand for “Annibale” or Hannibal), the left side represents what seems to be the execution of Manlius Torquatus’ son (although the “C” banner causes confusion), and the right side a general, possibly Hannibal, reviewing his troops. The figures in all the narratives stand on a vegetation less spikey than that of the workshop of Cardinal Cles casket. The base is decorated with sphynx like herms holdings swags with Dolphins either side. The recurring use of “C” banners, even in what must be the judgement of Solomon (viz: the “S” cartouche, as well as the story of the child) created difficulties. It is quite likely that the craftsman had a convenient matrix to hand, rather than stories from the Punic wars on his mind. The mark of this workshop is the use of wiry, elongated figures. The lead is coloured with a dark resin so as to create similarities with bronze. (1984-1985)
Credit line
Given by Mrs Ellen Hearn
Object history
PASTIGLIA BOXES
Gilt pastiglia boxes were mostly made in Venice and Ferrara from about 1480 until 1550. Pastiglia or pasta is the name given to white lead paste, bound with egg white. This was often scented and described in contemporary inventories as pasta di muschio (musk paste). The pastiglia figures and motifs were shaped with a lead mould and then glued to the gilt surface of the box - hence their frequent recurrence on other boxes. The boxes are decorated with legends of Ancient Rome and the scenes copied from woodcuts such as Jacobus Argentoratensis' Triumph of Caesar (Venice, 1504) or illustrations of Livy's Roman History.
(Label text, circa 2000, from old Medieval & Renaissance Galleries)
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic reference
Patrick de Winter: "A little-known creation of Renaissance decorative arts: the white lead pastigilia box", Saggi e Memorie di Storia dell' Arte, 14 (1984), pp. 9 - 131. Cat. no. 52. pl. 56 (?) and 38
Collection
Accession number
W.45-1923

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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