A North Italian bone and ivory inlaid wedding casket depicting the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, Embriachi School, circa 1500 and later

with certosina inlay.

Sotheby's New York, June 8, 2007, lot 406
Acquired by the present owner from the above auction

Restorations throughout. Later carcass and hardware. Chipping and losses to inlay throughout. Age cracks. Some inlay consolidated. Some old key holes in front panels filled/adapted. Small losses throughout. Some larger chips to the elements on the bottom edge of the lid. Stable and well-restored.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The productive workshop founded by Baldassare degli Embriachi specialized in the production of altarpieces and domestic objects mounted with flat panels of ivory or bone carved in relief.  Wedding caskets often featured visual narratives relating to famous biblical, classical, or medieval love stories.  The present box shows the story of Pyramus and Thisbe as told in Ovid's Metamorphoses, in which two beautiful young lovers, forbidden by their parents to wed, communicate between a crack in the wall separating their adjoining houses.  They arrange to meet under cover of darkness underneath a mulberry tree near the tomb of Ninus.  Thisbe, arriving first, is frightened away by a lioness but leaves behind her veil.  The animal takes the veil into its jaws, bloody from a recent kill, tearing and staining it.  When Pyramus arrives to find the bloody, mutilated veil, he assumes Thisbe has been killed by the beast.  Horrified, he commits suicide, falling on his sword.  Thisbe, returning shortly afterward, finds Pyramus dead and falls upon the same sword.