Coffer

Dutch

Not on view

In contrast to the severe black ebony exterior, the cabinet’s interior is more colorful and has several surprising components. The inside is embellished with alabaster plaques painted with monochrome landscapes. Within the central compartment is a five-sided recess with a tiled floor known as a perspectiefje (little perspective), a space used to place a small, treasured object that could be admired from all sides in the mirrors. Such coffers were used for the storage of valuables or jewelry.

Coffer, Pine veneered with ebony and macassar ebony; padauk wood; painted alabaster; ivory; mirror glass, Dutch

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.