Casket
c. 1595
Medium
Rock crystal, ebony, rosewood, walnut, silver gilt, paint, varnish, and glass
Dimensions
30 × 41 × 31.1 cm (11 3/4 × 16 1/8 × 12 1/4 in.)
Classification
casket
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
248927
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This casket, or chest, was conceived as a piece of heavenly architecture. Its contents can be glimpsed through 184 panels of hand-cut rock crystal (quartz). Two panels on the lid are engraved with the Latin phrase BONAE MATRI—VTERE FELIX [To the good Mother—Use it with luck]. According to tradition, Pope Clement VIII employed this and other similar pieces to present blessed linens to the mothers of first-born male children of European royal families.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...