16th C. Nuremberg Etched Iron Casket

This large casket rare by its size is a remarkable testimony of the know-how and the skill of the artists of the Nuremberg region, specializing in iron engraving. Skilled in the art of drawing, they imagined figures, objects and animals in complex settings to enhance the metal parts for use in the Renaissance. This box with a five-pin lock provided security for the objects locked inside, but was also a work of art in its own right. Adorned on all sides with characters in court garments, knights and noble ladies in foliated foliage frames and windings, he has on the sides the representations of Lucretia and Judith with the head of Holofernes, the famous ancient history women. Was our casket intended for an important lady that one wanted to flatter by comparing her to strong women who changed the story?
The quality of engraving and its precision accentuate the refinement and the preciousness of our box.

Dimensions: h. 19.5 cm, l. 30 cm, p. 18 cm.