English: Marriage chest

1345-54
Italy, probably Florence or Siena
Poplar wood, with figures moulded in gesso, reinforced with iron bands

The figures on this marriage chest all link to courtly romances. They include a lovers\' tryst by the fountain of love, a rider with a falcon, and a queen on horseback brandishing a scourge.

By about 1300, the cassone, or chest, was the most prestigious form of storage in Italian households. This example was most likely made in Florence or Siena: some red or blue 'damsels' chests' (girls' chests) were ordered in Florence in 1384 by Francesco Datini (1355-1410); and a pair are shown in a painting by the Sienese artist Simone Martini (died 1344). Cassoni were often placed around beds and decorated with popular romantic themes: in this case, love is symbolised by figures at 'the fountain of love' and by ladies on horseback with falcons taking part in 'the hunt of love'. This cassone may be one of the earliest known, because the ladies' sleeves, which are cut off at the elbow, were only fashionable during the 1350s.