This rectangular leather case is meant to hold a pair of round miniature paintings, which are missing. On the right side of the interior of the case, there are two equal sized, round holes cut in the buff colored fabric lining. In one of the holes there is a rectangular slip of paper the size and shape of a stamp with 5220 and 1520 handwritten in ink on it. The case is hinged on the rectangle’s narrow sides but one of the hinges is broken and much of it is missing. The exterior of the case is tan colored leather with tooled and gilded decoration. There is a gold coat of arms in the center of a pair of rectangles outlined in gold. The coat of arms has a central shield form bisected horizontally with a line separating a bird on top and a castle tower that looks like a rook chess piece. The shield is flanked on each side by tassels in a chandelier design. A Greek cross holding up an open circle forms the upper part of the crest above the bird’s head. There are four decorative corner shell forms with curlicues . There is also an intricate outer gold border.
Unknown
Miniature Case,
Tooled leather
,
11.7 x 6.5 x 2.1 cm (4 5/8 x 2 9/16 x 13/16 in.)
Object details
Accession number
U19e116
Primary Creator
Unknown
Full title
Miniature Case
Creation Date
Provenance
Entered Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection at an unknown date.
Dimensions
11.7 x 6.5 x 2.1 cm (4 5/8 x 2 9/16 x 13/16 in.)
Display Media
Tooled leather
Web 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.
Permanent Gallery Location
Tapestry Room
Rights and reproductions
The use of images, text, and all other media found on this website is limited. Please review Rights and Reproductions for details.
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.