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Coffret (Minnekästchen)

ca. 1325–50
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 14
The inside of this coffret's lid depicts Frau Minne, the German goddess of love, aiming and arrow at a young man. At right, he gives her his heart. The inscriptions have been interpreted as: "Gracious lady, I have surrendered," and "Lady send me solace, my heart has been wounded." The coffret embodies the notions of courtly love, a concept that developed during the feudal period and imagined romance as playful warfare between the suitor and beloved. The arms on the box may be those of the Berstett family of Alsace, Baden, and Austria.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Coffret (Minnekästchen)
  • Date: ca. 1325–50
  • Geography: Made in Upper Rhineland, Germany
  • Culture: German
  • Medium: Oak, inlay, and tempera; wrought-iron mounts
  • Dimensions: Overall: 4 3/4 x 10 3/4 x 6 1/2in. (12.1 x 27.3 x 16.5cm)
  • Classification: Woodwork-Furniture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund and The Cloisters Collection, by exchange, 1950
  • Object Number: 50.141
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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