A Rare Carved and Metal Mounted Casket with Remnants of ‘Pastiglia’
A Rare Carved and Metal Mounted Casket with Remnants of ‘Pastiglia’
Period 14th century
Origin Catalonia, Spain
Medium Wood, Iron, polychrome
Dimension 17 x 44 x 14 cm (6³/₄ x 17³/₈ x 5¹/₂ inches)
Wood, iron, polychrome
Catalonia, Spain
14th Century
Size: 17cm high, 44cm wide, 14cm deep - 6⅔ ins high, 17⅓ ins wide, 5½ ins deep
Provenance:
G. Zeberg, Tefaf, Maastricht
Ex Private Belgium collection
Period: 14th century
Origin: Catalonia, Spain
Medium: Wood, Iron, polychrome
Dimension: 17 x 44 x 14 cm (6³/₄ x 17³/₈ x 5¹/₂ inches)
Provenance: G. Zeberg, Tefaf, Maastricht
Ex Private Belgium collection
Literature: 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.
Finch & Co
Antiquities, ethnographica, natural history, sculpture and works of art
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