Casket with scenes of courtly love, 15th century

Wood, probably lime. Painted with chalk, gilded, ‘pastiglia’ technique

(H x W x D)24,6 × 28,2 × 19,5 cm

Place of originCataluña

Status

on display, room 001.1

About the workThe front and back of this small chest feature male and female figures in courtly dress. In the nineteenth century, researchers interpreted such motifs as portraying a bride and groom or a romantic couple and invented the term “Minne-Kasten” for these containers, based on the medieval word for courtly love. However, these small chests were not only tokens of love, given at weddings for example, but were also used in aristocratic circles to store letters, documents, jewellery or medicines.

AccessionAcquired by exchange 1951

Provenance[...]; o.D. vermutlich Königshaus Hannover, Schloss Marienburg; 22.7.1951 durch Tausch erworben von Herrn Dr. Konrad Strauß, Berlin, über Lempertz, Köln

Inventory numberP 1951-1

Contact

sammlung@kunstpalast.de

Permalink

https://sammlung.kunstpalast.de/en/objects/52704/minnekastchen

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