Pastiglia box of the Renaissance

Raised lid with a trapezoidal section and flat at the top, closed by a puller

Decorated with scenes from mythology and classical antiquity

Ferrara, second or third decade of the 16th century

Dimensions: 13 x 20.3 x 13.4 cm

These splendid and highly refined artefacts with historiated pastille decorations are linked to the culture of the Este courts during the Renaissance and of the cultured circles of the 15th and early 16th centuries.

Reality within which, Isabella d'Este and other noble and aristocrats cultivated their insatiable desire for ancient things, but also for contemporary works that evoked antiquity.

In this context, the pastiglia caskets, decorated with themes borrowed from Roman history and classical mythology, enjoyed great success.