Southern Netherlandish, circa 1440-1470

Overall the condition of the casket is good, with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The front and back panel of the lid, and two corners at the top of the lid have been replaced with wood. The casket is composed in sections, and stable original joints are visible. The bottom panel has slightly warped, causing the joint to be open on one side, but stable. Glue residue is visible around this joint. There are some minor losses to the bone panels, including to the front of the lid around the lock, to the left edge of the lid at the back, to the bottom left corner at the front and to the bottom right corner at the back. There is a further loss to the bone at the bottom edge on the left side, and the remaining bone panel is loose on one side. It is possible that a small number of the plain and decorative bone panels are replaced. There are extensive traces of gilding and polychromy. There is very minor greening to the bone in areas, including to the central panel with the fountain on the lid. There is minor stable splitting to the wood, consistent with the material, particularly visible to the inside of the casket. The top front panel of the interior is slightly loose. There is some warping to the metal of the lockplate at the bottom left corner. There is a loss to the upper section of the lock on the right side, and part of the lock appears to be replaced. One of the metal rings on the right side of the box is lost. There is wear to the silk lining of the box throughout, including some losses to the silk.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This charming games box is a fine example of a distinct group of small bone caskets displaying secular motifs in low relief against hatched backgrounds and intarsia checkerboards to the underside. Today's scholarly consensus argues that these caskets were produced by workshops in the southern Netherlands. Their preferred motifs – scenes of courtship and hunting – indicate a possible function within marriage negotiations. While it is traditionally thought that these caskets were in fact used to store gaming pieces and to play on, this use has been called into question, and the checkerboard should perhaps be seen as symbolic in most cases. Depicting musicians, courting couples, a hunt, and animals, the present casket compares both iconographically and stylistically to numerous examples held in public collections, such as two caskets in the V&A (inv. nos. 4660-1859 and 6747-1860) and one at the musée du Louvre (inv. no. MRR 80). For the motif of a tree in a basket on the lid, see a casket in the Metropolitan Museum (inv. no. 54.135).

RELATED LITERATURE
D. Gaborit-Chopin (ed.), Ivoires médiévaux, Ve-XVe siècle, cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2003, pp. 528-530; P. Williamson and G. Davies, Medieval Ivory Carvings: 1200-1550, cat. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2014, Part II, pp. 654-655, 677-685