Record details

• generalData.title

  Amatory casket

• generalData.creationDate

  Segle XV

• generalData.manufacture

  Catalonia

• technicalData.measurements

  13 x 17 x 12,5 cm

• technicalData.description

  Wood with gilded and polychrome stucco application

• technicalData.complementaryDescription

  Often presented as betrothal gifts to young women, these amatory caskets were designed to hold personal treasures such as jewelry, gloves, mirrors, combs, and other prized possessions. As customary nuptial gifts, they were imbued with symbolic significance. A dense horror vacui ornamentation covering the surface, closely tied to the courtly and chivalric culture of European courts around 1400, drawing inspiration from literary sources. Eagles with open beaks and outspread wings dominate the design. These figures are set amidst lush foliage in low relief, with remnants of polychromy that include floral patterns and rosettes. Birds, in general, symbolize transcendence and spiritual elevation, often interpreted as metaphors for lovers. The eagle, specifically, embodies notions of the celestial and the spirit, frequently associated with the sun and masculinity. Today, examples of this exceptional medieval Catalan craftsmanship can be studied in museums such as those in Barcelona, Lleida, Vic, and Zaragoza, which house outstanding specimens of this unique tradition in furniture and decorative arts.