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• 1 2016-04-07T13:19:31-07:00 Real or Fake? 17 plain 2016-04-22T13:52:01-07:00

  The chest featured in this exhibit was purchased in 1986 from a local dealer, under the pretense that it was a sixteenth century cassone once belonging to the noble Roman Colonna family. However, its authenticity has been questioned by several professors in the History of Art Department, as well as a conservator. While the classical features of this cassone including paw-like feet, its oblong rectangular shape, and wood color, might suggest to the untrained eye that this is an original Renaissance piece, several elements are not consistent with other examples. The chest features scalloped wood moldings along the edges and a more intricate, scrolled design in the center of the front panel, but these details are much simpler than on other cassoni that were entirely encased in intricate carvings. Although it is possible that a groom from a modest background might have commissioned a simple cassone, the simplicity of this piece does not correlate with its supposed association with the Colonna family. Rather, it would make sense for a family with the Colonna’s economic and political power to own an ornate chest with elaborate carvings or paintings with opulent gold gilding. Thus, even if the piece is truly a sixteenth century chest, it was likely not a possession of the Colonna family. 

  Closer examination of the chest reveals evidence to doubt whether the piece was created during the sixteenth century at all. Between the front and back legs of the chest, the degree of insect infestation varies starkly. On the front legs of the chest, deep, round holes indicate apparent insect damage, while the hind legs retain their smooth exterior finish. This variance is particularly suspicious when coming from a piece that is supposedly five hundred years old, which would likely display decay throughout. Furthermore, the condition of the wood is uneven, as several areas on the surface appear dull or marred, while others appear almost glossy. There is even more inconsistency along the edges of the chest, as those on the side and base moldings are crisp, whereas those near the top are blunted. Although cassoni were valuable pieces of home decor, they were subject to everyday wear, and thus did not remain in the pristine condition that much of this chest did. Experts agree that the parts of chest in the best condition appear to be from at least the nineteenth century, and that the piece is a more modern work rather than a Renaissance cassone.

   
• 1 2016-04-07T13:13:52-07:00 The Public Role of Cassoni 8 plain 2016-04-14T13:45:49-07:00

  In Renaissance Italy, marriage transcended a simple tie between individuals; it was a financial and political merger between families. Affluent Italians thus used strategically planned marriages as political tools to solidify their social influence. Over the course of several years, elite members of society arranged marriages for their children, and these bonds were aptly celebrated with extravagant, four-step weddings. The final step in this process was the wedding procession. In order to announce a new marriage and garner support from the community, a bride was paraded through town from her father’s house to her husband’s home. This event symbolized the transition from the bride’s former life with her family to her new one with her husband. Just as marriage played a meaningful role in Italian society, the wedding ceremonies themselves were of great significance.
  
  

  Italian wedding chests, called cassoni, played an integral role in the wedding procession. Prior to the wedding, a groom ordered a pair of cassoni to be featured in the nuptial festivities and to later sit in the newlyweds’ home. These chests were elaborately decorated with paintings and carvings according to the family’s wealth. As wedding processors carried the cassoni alongside the bride, the intricacy of their decoration flaunted the merging families’ social and economic statuses. The chests also carried the physical portion of a bride’s dowry, which consisted of her family’s valuable possessions, thus further advertising the family’s wealth. Aside from wealth, the scenes painted on the sides of cassoni offered insight into their owners’ values. For example, a cassone from the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum portrays a story about Lucretia, a woman who exemplified the virtues of honor and marital chastity. Cassoni were thus important forms of communication between families and their communities during the wedding march.