Embriachi Workshop, Italian, Venice, second quarter 15th century

Overall the condition of the casket is good. There is wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age, with some small chips along the edges. There are losses to the veneer on the edges of the lid and a section of horn is mkissing from the lower edge. There is a loss to the ivory near the left hinge. There are traces of green staining on the top frame and traces of gilding on the edges above the figures.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Renaissance betrothal caskets were exchanged at the weddings of patrician nobles. Their presentation to the bride marked an important stage in her transition from maiden to wife. The present type would have been bestowed upon the bride to contain her marriage jewellery, letters from her lover and other precious tokens associated with their sacred bond. The pairs of demure, conservatively dressed women around the main frieze of the present casket were probably intended to serve as a models for the virtuous bride, whilst also perhaps evoking the preparations for her forthcoming nuptials.

The Embriachi Workshop was founded in Venice in the early fifteenth century by Baldassare degli Embriachi. It was responsible for some of the largest and most impressive triptychs and polyptychs of the late Gothic and early Renaissance periods, including the celebrated Retable de Poissy in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. MR 379), which dates to circa 1400. The workshop also specialised in sumptuous wedding caskets such as the present example, which evoke the larger polyptychs in their use of multiple carved panels. The present box is a particularly fine example, which is distinguished by its lower frieze of vegetal and animal forms and its elaborate tiered lid. The angels supporting the escutcheon on the lid find a close comparison in those adorning a casket in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. 3265-1856) which was listed in the 1791 inventory of the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. The panels with pairs of women and unusual architectural mouldings are very similar to those on an Embriachi coffer in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello (inv. no. 19A); this casket also includes an upper frieze with angels set against an analagous background of vegetal forms.

RELATED LITERATURE
M. Tomasi, La Bottega degli Embriachi, Florence, 2001, pp. 36-40, no. 7