A FRENCH BAROQUE GILT BRONZE MOUNTED BURR WALNUT CASKET , France, date circa 1720
Height from base to the top of the lid 33cm, width 66 cm, depth 45cm.
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An extremely beautiful and rare French Baroque gilt bronze mounted burr walnut casket with its original lining paper, the casket of rectangular form with burr walnut veneer and ebony banded panels, ornamented with elaborate and finely chased mounts, the gently bow-shaped lid surmounted by a very elaborate handle and mount composed of four putti issuing from a bed of roses and other flowers, each of the top corners with spandrel mounts composed of a putto amid roses and other flowers, the front of the lid with a central cherub mask above the main body centred by a lock and keyhole, the escutcheon with a cherub, within a berried foliate wreath and laurel leaf sprays, flanked either side by a pair of locking clasps of which the hinged hook is formed as a foliate and floral scroll with a pronounced elongated end that hooks into a ring issuing from a rosette, at the corners of the juncture between the top and the bottom are a pair of elaborate mounts that wrap around to the sides, with a pair of floral and berried wrap-around mounts around the edges at centre, above spandrel mounts at the lower corners composed of a putto torso and flower heads. The sides with conforming lower corner mounts and a pair of handles that conform with that on the lid. The hinged casket opening to reveal the original gilt and green trellis and flower head centred lining paper
France, date circa 1720
Height from base to the top of the lid 33cm, width 66 cm, depth 45cm.
No expense has been spared in the creation of this beautiful casket, of which the quality of the casting and chasing of the gilt bronze mounts is of the highest quality. Certainly, it must have been made for someone of great wealth and importance. Caskets such as this were intended to hold items such as medals or jewels and were usually very ornately decorated. The clasps that secure the top and the bottom of the casket can be compared to those featured on a casket attributed to André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732) that is veneered with marquetry panels of scrolls, strapwork, and vines executed in engraved gilt copper on a ground of tortoiseshell (Art Institute of Chicago). Here the hinged hooks are composed on flowers and foliage, while on the Boulle piece, they terminate as bird heads, with the bird’s tapering beak cleverly acting as a hook.