Jewellery Casket alla Certosina

A certosina jewellery casket, North Italian, Venice, circa 1550.

The soft wood carcass egded with substantial, architecturally profiled sections of bone, decorated all around with inlaid panels alla certosina.Standing on the original cast and turned bronze feet; lined with red velvet.

w:8.75 x d:5.75 in x h:3.75 in

Both the materials and the design of this box show the influence of the Islamic world upon the manufacture of luxury objects in Italy during the 16th century. Trade routes between principle states such as Venice resulted in a two-way cultural exchange that profoundly affected art and design. The geometric inlay of coloured woods and bone is similar in style to the designs found on tiles and stained glass from Turkey, but is known in Italy as marquetryalla certosinaafter the Certosina church in Pavia which houses a famous altarpiece decorated in this manner.