688 - Museum-quality chest with geometric inlays

Museum-quality chest with geometric inlays Northern Italy, probably Lombardy Late 15th century Body made of solid walnut, with geometric-linear inlays of maple and boiled pear wood Original interior layout; drawers added later Fittings, hinges, and carrying handles added later Lock mechanism missing Height 55 cm, width 114 cm, depth 55 cm Restorations, missing sections In late medieval and Renaissance Italy, chests were among the most important pieces of storage furniture. They were used to store clothing, linens, documents, and valuables, and at the same time served as a visible symbol of a household’s prosperity. They were also used as dowry chests. The solid walnut body is enhanced by geometric, linear inlays of lighter woods. On the inside of the lid, four square motifs form a larger, interlocking composition that is integrated into the surrounding frame by connecting lines. The contrast between the dark base wood and the light inlays emphasizes the clear order of the decoration. The preserved interior layout, with drawers added at a later date, allows for the separate storage of various items. The iron fittings add additional decorative accents. Ribbon-like extensions with rounded, openwork end plates radiate from the central lock fitting. Three additional fittings feature heart-shaped ring handles. On the inside of the lid, the combination of ribbon-like elements and openwork decorative plates is repeated in the area of the locking mechanism. A particularly close comparison can be found in the Raccolte Artistiche of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (Inv. No. Mobili 5). Both chests feature light-colored, intertwined square and diamond motifs on the inside of the lid, as well as an almost identical arrangement of ribbon-shaped iron fittings with circular, openwork decorative plates. The central lock fitting with four extending arms and the heart-shaped ring handles on the front also correspond to the same design type. The object presented here, however, is even more restrained in its decoration. Another comparable piece is housed at the Museo di Palazzo Venezia in Rome (Inv. No. 1135). The walnut chest, classified there as the work of a Lombard workshop from the late 15th or early 16th century, also features elaborate, openwork metal fittings and geometric inlays made of various types of wood on the interior. The museum catalog classifies it as part of a related group of chests-including examples with drawers-whose production scholars attribute to Lombard workshops. These comparisons suggest that the present piece should also be viewed in the context of Lombard chest production around 1500.