Casket with the Three Theological Virtues
c. 1525-c. 1550
Medium
Gold, enamel, rock crystal, and lapis lazuli
Dimensions
4.2 × 8.4 × 4.9 cm (1 5/8 × 3 5/16 × 1 15/16 in.)
Classification
jewelry
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
119971
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Miniature caskets might have been used in the Renaissance to house jewels or possibly saintly relics. This example features panels of engraved rock crystal, an extremely hard material of great clarity and polish that is carved only with patience and skill. The emblematic figures depicted here are modeled after the work of the sixteenth-century Italian painter Raphael.
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...