Italian, Northern Italy
Cabinet (Stipo), 17th century
Pine and cedar, 26.4 x 34 x 23.2 cm (10 3/8 x 13 3/8 x 9 1/8 in.)
Chestnut colored square portable cabinet that opens with a locking fall front, and the top of the cabinet is hinged to reveal a shallow tray. This external case, made of pine, appears to have been made to enclose a cabinet. Made of cedar, the internal cabinet has an arched door decorated with the figure of a standing man. Columns and two small drawers flank the door, and at the bottom is a wide drawer with three recesses for ink and writing supplies. The exterior is decorated with champleve carving and burning. The outer face of the fall front has a cartouche supported by putti. On the sides of the box are figures in arches: on the left side, a woman with the inscription "CONTADINA"; on the right side, a cavalier with a partially effaced inscription reading "...[CA]PI-TANO." On the inside of the lid is burned a scene of a garden with figures, and the drawer fronts are decorated with foliage.
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.