This rare and precious little wooden box is a perfect embodiment of the medieval casket. The piece features a rectangular base with a moulded plinth, a parallelepiped body and a tapered lid with sloping edges and concave sides, slightly sticking out from the body upon which it rests. The lid refers to a type of …
This intriguing ironwork belongs to the so-called à moraillon kind of locks, designed for closing chests and coffers, and quite common in the Gothic and Late Gothic periods, especially in the French and Spanish areas. The present one shows a typical quadrangular shape and a warm brown patina; moreover, it has a rather unusual and rare decorative …
This small and precious rectangular brass casket -completely gilded both outside and inside- shows a stepped base, a domed lid and a front enriched by two reverse-painted oval rock crystals, set into bezels: the left one depicts the Annunciation and the right one depicts the Nativity. The entire outer surface of the casket is finely engraved with interwoven …
This wonderful shaffron (from the French chamfrain) – the part of a horse’s armour protecting its head – perfectly documents the Turkish 16th century armour, made up of several metal plates connected one another by iron mails; a light and flexible defence derived from that used by the Islamic heavy cavalry. The piece here presented consists …
This wonderful jewelry box is a rare and unprecedented example of the late-Renaissance highest achievement in ironworking. The rounded lid – typical of a well-defined category of caskets, made in the French area between the late 16th and the early 17th century- is enriched by a pair of silver oval plaquettes, embossed and chiselled, representing two scenes …
A refined French Casket in Iron, Gold and Silver Read More »
This important jar with spout and rich dragon-shaped handles, is entirely decorated with refined and airy “raffaellesche”. On the front there is a shield with the figure of St. Dominic in prayer, over a big cartouche with a large inscription: SV° DI FM° STERNO S (meaning fumoterra syrup or sauce, a plant with purifying properties …
Built according to the ancient procedure described in some ancient treatises and illustrated in the chapter Forge des Enclumes of Diderot et D’Alembert’s Encyclopédie, this majestic and fascinating anvil belongs to the typical French, Swiss and Austrian typology, featuring a clear formal and decorative pattern: a massive body with a protruding, shaped and decorated front (chest) that develops …
This nice tray is a typical example of the so-called tortoiseshell piquè work, a very sophisticated technique probably originated in Naples already around the late 16th century. This art developed significantly a century later, and is described in some 18th century books, revealing processing ‘secrets’: first the softening the tortoiseshell by boiling it in water and olive …
This spectacular purse frame is a very rare example of a scarcely known kind of object. It’s the clasp for a purse used by noblemen, bankers, moneychangers and merchants -rigorously men- for keeping coins, but also keys, letters and documents or the white handkerchief, an essential accessory for the adult gentleman; for sure, the purse …
This two wonderful wrought iron Doorknockers are an outstanding example of the German ironwork craftsmanship from the late 16th century. The body – a round ring, with a diamond shape section – is richly decorated with very fine low-relief engravings depicting animals and vegetal motifs (dogs and hares, flowers and acorns). Two coat-of-arms appear on …