A SOUTH GERMAN ETCHED CASKET

CIRCA 1600, PROBABLY NUREMBURG

细节

A SOUTH GERMAN ETCHED CASKET
CIRCA 1600, PROBABLY NUREMBURG
Decorated overall with rectangular panels depicting Landsknecht on the front and back and maidens to the sides within borders of scrolling foliage, the hinged lid with carrying-handle and an elaborate lock shooting three bolts, with handles to the sides, on bun feet
403/4 in. (12 cm.) high; 7½ in. (19 cm.) wide; 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) deep

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拍品专文

Small caskets in a variety of materials were a popular feature of European domestic life in the 15th and 16th centuries and were often given as tokens of affection. The present casket depicts a man and woman to the lid and could possibly been a gift to celebrate marriage. In Germany, steel was a favoured material for the production of these caskets the surface of which was then etched to create decorative motifs. This involved covering the surface of the casket with a material such as wax, and then scraping away the wax in all the background areas. These exposed areas of the steel were then bathed in acid, which 'bit' into the surface while the areas protected by the wax remained untouched. The wax was then removed, and a form of black ink was rubbed into the etched areas to provide a greater contrast with the reserved areas of the design.