A MOULDED HIGH-RELIEF AND OPENWORK DEVOTIONAL BRONZE PLAQUE

Rare, magnificent Baroque casket in silver, partially gilt, and malachite. Above four slightly flared feet in the form of shellwork, an elongated rectangular body with beveled, curved corners, decorated with fine angel heads. The straight wall and the domed hinged lid lavishly decorated in openwork with acanthus leaves, shellwork and rocailles in high relief and inlaid with extremely finely grained, cut malachite. The wall is surrounded by four cartouches with inset, concave and gilded plaques. They depict detailed relief scenes of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Two applied cartouches with engraved acanthus leaves and the coat of arms of the Italian city of Forli in the Emilia-Romagna region framed by C-sweeps on the rising edges of the lid. Central, gilt plaque with the inscription "AMORE E PSICHE". Keyhole on the front with key in the shape of two turtle doves. Weight approx. 7400 g. H. 19 cm. 39 cm x 21 cm. Such ceremonial caskets were used in the 18th century to store jewelry, cosmetics, documents or writing utensils. An almost identical ceremonial casket made of partially gilded silver, enamel, malachite and lapis lazuli, also with depictions of Cupid and Psyche, is in the Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1974.86. It was a gift from Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni (1667-1740) for the wedding of Pier Gregorio Boncompagni Ludovisi and Francesca Ottoboni in 1731. Their marriage was the union of two important papal families in Italy - the Boncompagni-Ludovisi from Bologna and the Ottoboni from Venice. It is possible that the present casket was commissioned by the cardinal and made by the same goldsmith or comes from the Ottoboni collection. Cf. Journal of the History of collections, vol. 1, no. 1 (1989), pp. 33-57, Edward J. Olszewski, Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni (1667-1740) in America; Hawley, Henry H. (1975). The Boncompagni-Ludovisi-Ottoboni Casket. Bulletin of The Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 62, no. 7, pp. 219-228. We would like to thank the curatorial assistant of the Cleveland Museum, Ms. Kerry Gnandt, for her kind support and information. Provenance: from the former estate of Gerhard Kubetschek, founder of the clay furniture manufacturer Kuba Imperial in Wolfenbüttel. A splendid and rare Italian Baroque parcel-gilt silver and hardstone casket with fine depictions of Cupid and Psyche. With engraved Italian coat of arms of the city of Forli. With key. We would like to thank the curatorial assistant of the Cleveland Museum, Mrs. Kerry Gnandt, for her kind support and information. Italy. Rome. Circa 1730.