16th C. Venetian Cedar Engraved Casket With Secrets

This casket with domed lid is adorned with a pyrographed, engraved decoration and enhanced with ink. In front it reveals a hunting scene with knight chasing a stag on the castle's foreground. The sides are decorated with allegorical scenes with an oriental influence. The lid is decorated with a treillis enriched with flowers in the center of each crosspiece. The inside of the lid shows a courtly scene. The inside of the casket is composed of several compartments including a secret one. These compartments are hidden by four plates including the middle one decorated with angels musicians under the arcades. Once this lid removed, we discover a space adorned with three other plates whose lower parts cut out are the front parts of small drawers equipped with round pull buttons. The large slab slides up to reveal a secret space.
Elegant and fun, our trunk seduces not only by its refined decor, but also by its complex system of hidden compartments.
Object worthy of a collector-connoisseur, it is also a wonderful testimony of the know-how and the ingenuity of the artists during the Renaissance.
16th century, Venice area.
Nice condition, lock replaced
Dimensions: h. 28 cm, l. 43 cm, p. 24 cm