GERMAN, UPPER RHINE, LATE 14TH OR 15TH CENTURY

Many of these caskets were produced in the Upper Rhine in the 14th and 15th centuries, some probably as betrothal caskets, others as commemorative boxes. The hatched background is typical of work from the period, as are the iron mounts and flower-head terminals. The caskets are often decorated with heraldic motifs or dedicatory inscriptions above complex lattice-work backgrounds. A similar example was sold at Christie's, London on 4 November 2010, lot 39.