Casket
c.1590
Medium
Steel, iron, brass, and silk textile
Dimensions
9.5 × 15.9 × 9.5 cm (3 3/4 × 6 1/4 × 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
metalwork
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
76632
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
By the end of the sixteenth century, the arms trade in Nuremberg had reduced considerably. Armorers and etchers adapted by applying their skills to broader markets by producing all-steel pistols and all-steel caskets such as this. The etched figures, birds, and hunting scenes on this casket derive from printed pattern books by Nuremberg artists Virgil Solis and Jost Amman. Caskets like this one were highly popular; made in a variety of sizes and used for safekeeping valuables, they were often gi...
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...