11: Western European Furniture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

Chest with depictions of saints

16th century

Northern Italy

44x59x36 cm

Carved cedar wood with paste

In Northern Italy small-sized chests decorated with flat carving were common. The background would be cut away to leave the pattern in relief. This little chest with a depiction on its front side of St Jerome holding a model of a church and St Augustine is a typical example of such works. The background and certain ornamental details were filled with red, green and black paste that enhanced the impact of the carved and engraved decoration. Such inserts are specific to Italian furniture. Today the paste has almost entirely been lost.