SOUTH GERMAN IVORY VENEERED AND GILT COPPER MOUNTED CASKET

SOUTH GERMAN IVORY VENEERED AND GILT COPPER MOUNTED CASKET, 15th-16th century, the hinged coffered cover with knopped swing handle and three engraved clasps with fleurs-de-lys finials, with further engraved banding at each end, the right side with drawer; the front with engraved quatreform lockplate; raised on four metal feet cast as recumbent lions; the walnut interior with ebony and ivory geometric parquetry work, 11cm high (handle down), 22.5cm wide overall Provenance: The collection of the late Professor Michael Jaffé, Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (1973 -1990), Clifton Maybank House, Dorset Cf. Christie's Amsterdam, The Decorative Arts Sale, incl. Fine Paintings, 19th - 20th June 2012, lot 24, an extremely similar example Also Spink & Son, The Ernest Brummer Collection, Mediaeval and Renaissance Art, Vol 1, Zurich 1979, no.75, pp. 88-89, for an earlier Sicilian example Notes: The present casket with its distinctive coffer-gabled cover and engraved mounts likely takes inspiration from Siculo-Arabic examples of the 13th and 14th centuries. The design of these earlier works remained popular in later times, and a simpler 17th century north Italian example (sold at Sotheby's London, 2nd July 2013, lot 104) attests to its travel northwards across Europe. The internal parquetry of the present casket, which is also noted in the example sold at Christie's cited above, and near-identical lockplate, places the lot more in the Southern German tradition