Casket (cofanetto or scrigno)
Unknown Artist
1575–1600
Medium
Beechwood, ebony, painted and decorated with incrustation of mother-of-pearl, ivory with gilding; miniatures: gouache on parchment; lined with later fabric
Dimensions
7 7/8 × 15 5/8 in. (20 × 39.7 cm)
Classification
Woodwork-Furniture
Culture
Italian, Venice
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.848
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Venetian casket, known as a *cofanetto* or *scrigno*, dates to 15751600 and exemplifies the opulent decorative arts of late Renaissance Italy. Crafted in Venice—a hub of luxury trade and craftsmanship—these small wooden boxes (measuring just 7⅞ × 15⅝ inches) were prized possessions, often used to store jewelry, love, or precious keepsakes. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1917 by J. Pierpont Morgan, it the era's blend of functionality and splendor, showcasing Venice's mastery in exporting finely wrought objects to elite European patrons. The casket's construction highl...