The scenes displayed are taken from Medieval romances and Classical mythology. Initially they were mounted upon two large chests used by the powerful ruling Lombard family, the Visconti, on their visits to the Certosa of Pavia. The stories represented include: the Golden Eagle (Il Pecorone) by Giovanni Forentino (1378); the tale of Mattabruna (an old French Romance); Jason and the Golden Fleece; the story of Pyramus and Thisbe; and the story of Hero and Leander. These chests were among the most ambitious works created by the bone and ivory carvers workshop, headed by the Florentine entrepreneur, Baldassare degli Embriachi.
