Offered by Galerie Gabrielle Laroche
Origin : Italy
Period : 16th century
Height : 31.5 cm
Length : 59.5 cm
Depth : 42 cm
Dark walnut « prima patina »
This casket’s facade is divided by three arches. Those arcades are framed by four pilasters, each containing a niche, aligned with the plinth’s consoles. The arches’ cornice, base and pavement produce an impression of depth thanks to a central vanishing point.
The lateral sides of this casket present a similar decor yet reduced to two arches. Handles allow this small chest to be moved.
During the 15th century, the architectural interest and the studies on perspective have a strong impact on patrons’ taste. Treaties written by theorists such as Leo Battista Alberti or Filippo Brunelleschi influence the artistic production. Architectural depictions thrive in paintings’ backrgound and, sometimes, even become the main subject. It also appears in furniture making with credenza, cabinets and cupboards playing with architectural vocabulary. Cabinets’ facades emulate palaces’ facades.
Our sober and yet sophisticated casket’s decor evokes this typically Renaissance interest. Within applied arts those trompe-l’œil were mainly produced in marquetry. To create an architectural view in perspective from a single wood plank was very difficult. It requested great skills, both for the technique and the material. Consequently our casket is a rare and unusual testimony of this period.
