The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Art Object

The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

Ellenor M. Alcorn, Associate Curator, Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, discusses how in England, as in Europe, a rich display of silver was essential to the expression of power. Discover how English sovereigns from Elizabeth I to George III and their courtiers competed culturally on the international stage, commissioning silver and other luxury goods to establish their stature. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition British Silver: The Wealth of a Nation, on view May 15, 2012–January 20, 2013.

Recorded October 12, 2012

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Cassone

Date:: mid-15th century
Culture:: Italian (Florence)
Medium:: Walnut: gilded and painted
Dimensions:: Overall: 27 3/4 x 69 5/8 x 22 5/8in. (70.5 x 176.8 x 57.5cm)
Classification:: Woodwork
Credit Line:: Gift of Mrs. Emma B. Andrews, 1915
Accession Number:: 15.119.4

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 603

Description

The central scene apparently shows a wedding procession and is flanked by angels holding shields. The top is modern. A companion cassone is in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.
Provenance

Mrs. Emma B. Andrews (until 1915; to MMA)
See also
What
Wood (9,287)

Gilt (9,067)

Furniture (5,728)

Painting (5,231)

Woodwork (2,583)

Walnut (949)

Case furniture (874)

Chests (332)

Cassoni (49)
Where
Europe (150,013)

Italy (24,981)

Tuscany (1,231)

Florence (564)
When
A.D. 1400-1600 (20,619)
In the Museum
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (43,264)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Florence and Central Italy, 1400–1600 A.D.
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