The chest featured in this exhibit was purchased in 1986 from Antique Associates in Nashville, TN, under the pretense that it was a sixteenth century cassone once belonging to the noble Roman Colonna family. However, a conservator named Thomas Heller recently brought the authenticity of the piece into question. Several art history professors from Vanderbilt University including Sheri Shaneyfelt, Christopher Johns, and Robert Mode, each of whom specializes in Italian or Renaissance art, confirmed that the appearance and condition of the chest do not correspond with its alleged origins. The classical features of a cassoni including paw-like feet, its oblong rectangular shape, and wood color, indicate to the untrained eye that this is an original Renaissance piece. However, it is apparent that the piece is not opulently decorated. 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 minimalistic when compared to other cassoni that were entirely encased in intricate carvings. Although it is possible that grooms from modest backgrounds commissioned simple cassoni, the simplicity of this piece conflicts with the idea that it belonged to 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 wood 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 multiple reasons 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. Without hesitation, the conservator and professors agreed 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.