A ROCK CRYSTAL, GILT BRONZE AND SILVER CASKET ATTRIBUTED TO THE WORKSHOP OF GIOVANNI BATTISTA
Details
The rock crystal panels decorated with landscape scenes, the base with later silver repoussé panels, the central oval panel bearing a coronet and monogram 'MM' 51⁄4 x 85⁄8 x 5 in. (13.3 x 22 x 12.7 cm.)
Literature
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: L. A. Mira, The Dauphin's Treasure, exh. cat., Museo del Prado, Madrid, 2020, pp. 25 and 32.
Lot Essay
Milan was a major centre for rock crystal carving, producing highly detailed luxury vessels for European courts. These were coveted objects, with most workshops guarding their carving techiques. The rock crystal works of Giovanni Battista Metellino (d. 1724) and his workshop often featured small decorative motifs with unworked areas, like the present casket. Other rock crystal examples by Metellino and his workshop can be found in the collection of the Louvre, Paris (inv. nos. MR 308 and MR 316) and the Museo del Prado, Madrid (inv. no. O000107).
Details
The rock crystal panels decorated with landscape scenes, the base with later silver repoussé panels, the central oval panel bearing a coronet and monogram 'MM' 51⁄4 x 85⁄8 x 5 in. (13.3 x 22 x 12.7 cm.)
Literature
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE: L. A. Mira, The Dauphin's Treasure, exh. cat., Museo del Prado, Madrid, 2020, pp. 25 and 32.
Lot Essay
Milan was a major centre for rock crystal carving, producing highly detailed luxury vessels for European courts. These were coveted objects, with most workshops guarding their carving techiques. The rock crystal works of Giovanni Battista Metellino (d. 1724) and his workshop often featured small decorative motifs with unworked areas, like the present casket. Other rock crystal examples by Metellino and his workshop can be found in the collection of the Louvre, Paris (inv. nos. MR 308 and MR 316) and the Museo del Prado, Madrid (inv. no. O000107).
