Writing Box
Unknown Artist
ca. 1550–80
Medium
Poplar; leather, tooled, silhouettecut, engraved, gilded, silvered and painted; partially gilded metal mounts; brand-stamped and colored paper.
Dimensions
H. 17 cm, w. 43 cm, d. 34 cm.
Classification
Woodwork
Culture
North Italian, Venice (?)
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2022
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Writing Box, crafted around 1550–80 in North Italy—possibly Venice—exemplifies the Renaissance era's passion for luxurious portable furnishings. Measuring a compact 17 cm high, 43 cm wide, and 34 cm deep, it served as a gentleman's traveling desk, holding ink, quills, and paper for composing letters or documents. Such boxes were prized possessions among the elite, blending functionality with opulent decoration amid Venice's thriving trade in fine goods. Masterfully constructed from poplar wood, the box features intricate leather coverings adorned through tooled, silhouette-cut,...