Italian, Central Italy
Vitrine (Teca), late 18th century
Painted and gilded wood, glass, 77 x 36.7 x 28.8 cm (30 5/16 x 14 7/16 x 11 5/16 in.)
Vitrine made of painted and gilded wood. The wood and glass display door is arched and displays faux marbling, and the door is framed by two pilasters set at forty-five degree angles to the front. The pilasters are painted cream, brown, and dark blue to mimic different types of stones, and gold garlands are hanging from the capitals. Rising from the entablature is a small cupola. Vases crown the dome and the two corner pilasters. Above the door is a circular container covered with glass, originally surrounded by a small gilded frame, of which only a small section remains. Within this reliquary is a small gilt cross and textile fragments, together with a piece of paper bearing an inscription. Isabella Stewart Gardner installed a Chinese vase (C3s3) in the vitrine.
Blue Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.