Casket
about 1590
Object PlaceProbably London, England
Medium/TechniqueMother-of-pearl with silver mounts
DimensionsH. 13.7 cm (5 3/8 in.); W. 12.4 cm (4 7/8 in.)
Credit LineTheodora Wilbour Fund in memory of Charlotte Beebe Wilbour
Accession number63.1252
On View
On viewClassificationsSilver
Collections
Mother-of-pearl comes from the inside layer of certain tropical shells and was prized for its lustrous, iridescent surface. Craftsman in Gujarat, India, specialized in cutting and assembling plaques to create functional vessels that were eagerly collected and displayed by Europeans as luxurious curiosities from the other side of the world.
ProvenanceDukes of Norfolk, Arundel Castle (unverified); purchased from How (of Edinburgh), London, by the MFA for £650. (Accession date: September 18, 1963)
second or third quarter of the 14th century (?)
about 1700
about 1500–25, with later alterations
1756–62
1717–22
1717–22
about 1712–13
18th century
about 1725
about 1723-24
about 1720