Atelier Venitien - Cassone - With floral scrolls - Walnut, Intarsia

This splendid cassone, emblematic of Italian tradition, dates from the seventeenth century, with later restorations and modifications, and comes from Venetian workshops of the nascent Baroque era.

During this period, Venice, a wealthy trading city and major artistic center, excelled in producing luxurious display furniture intended for the aristocracy and the great patrician families. The cassone, often called a “wedding chest” or “dowry chest,” occupied a central place in domestic life: it was used to store precious linens, jewelry, family documents, and valuable fabrics offered at marriage unions, while symbolizing wealth, prestige, and the alliance of lineages. Beyond its utilitarian function, it could serve as a bench or showpiece seat in the palaces along the Grand Canal, bearing witness to the refinement and the chiaroscuro taste typical of the Serenissima.

Made of walnut wood, this chest features an exceptional root-wood inlay technique, a favored method among Venetian cabinetmakers for its swirling, organic effects. The five front panels unfold stylized floral motifs, arabesques, volutes, and symmetrical scrolls, set within geometric compartments, on a warm orangey-brown background that superbly contrasts with the structural elements. These include the frames, projecting moldings, substantial base, and sculpted feet, stained with Judæan or blackening bitumen of the period.

The molded base with multiple notches rests on original consoles with foliate capitals: volutes coiled in an S shape paired with stylized acanthus leaves and scrolls. This motif, characteristic of the transition from late Renaissance to early Venetian Baroque, elevates the chest from the floor while giving it a sculptural majesty.

The flat molded lid completes this harmonious ensemble.

The structure remains very solid, and the natural wear (marks on moldings, feet, and sides) is harmonious and testament to its historical use. It has benefited from unobtrusive, respectful restorations for everyday use.

Given its dimensions, this piece will be shipped via Brenger (Belgium/Netherlands) or FedEx for other countries.

Free pickup at my home is of course possible.