A Rare Carved and Metal Mounted Casket

A Rare Carved and Metal Mounted Casket with Remnants of ‘Pastiglia’ Decoration retaining the original lock plate
Wood, iron, polychrome
Catalonia, Spain
14th Century

Size: 17cm high, 44cm wide, 14cm deep - 6? ins high, 17? ins wide, 5½ ins deep

Provenance:
G. Zeberg, Tefaf, Maastricht
Ex Private Belgium collection

During the Renaissance in Italy, the minor arts encompassed the intricate ornamentation of small wooden boxes with reliefs cast in a ‘plastic’ material. This material was applied while yielding and hardened to the firmness of a soft stone. These boxes were commonly referred to as ‘jewel-caskets’, although they were also utilised for various purposes, including the storage of documents and valuables that necessitated secure protection.
In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the ‘pastiglia’ covered the entirety or nearly the entire outer surface of the wooden foundation. It was typically modelled smoothly in gentle gradations of relief and painted with colours that enhanced the forms of the prominent figures and provided intricate details of the decoration.