From Italy, circa 1900, this large and impressive Italian cassone has been hand-carved in the Renaissance style. A cassone is a lavishly worked trunk that was often given as a wedding dowry. It was an important piece of furniture, providing storage for the bride; typically, the more ornate examples were commissioned by affluent families.

A large relief carving of a reclining woman in a long dress, holding a crinkled ribbon, is the centerpiece of the front facing. She is surrounded by a scrolled molding with scalloped shells that is flanked by floral rinceaux. A thin molding surrounds the cartouche, inside of a border of ivy. The scene is further adorned with a pair of mascarons wearing crenellated and scrolled head pieces, encompassed by repeating florets set inside roundels. Additional embellishments include Vitruvian key, infilled lobes, foliate leaves, and a pair of scrolled coat of arms on the sides. The lid has an overhanging quarter round molding festooned with foliate infilled niches beneath a raised rectangular protuberance carved with imbricated disks on a cavetto molding.  The trunk is constructed from a mix of pine structure boards, pine carvings, walnut carvings, and walnut veneers.

Originally intended for storing a bride’s personal items, cassones are one of the oldest pieces of furniture, dating to the Late Middle Ages. Our large bleached Renaissance style cassone has a fantastic look, and it can be used in any room needing a decorative statement piece with interior storage.

CONDITION: Good antique condition with minor wear and nicks with old wood worm and slight lifting to side veneers. Old repair to front “floor apron” with a more recently stripping to the wood, leaving traces of the original finish. The lock has been removed.  Please see photos.