Post by Altomani and Sons

500 years later, the most revealing detail was still underneath. Altomani & Sons is pleased to present a rare Renaissance pastiglia box, made in Northeast Italy in the early sixteenth century and decorated with four powerful exempla virtutis: Marcus Atilius Regulus, Marcus Curtius, Lucretia and Judith. In just a few centimetres, this object brings together Roman history, biblical heroism, courtly collecting and the refined taste of the Renaissance studiolo. The box is made in pastiglia on gilded wood, with minute reliefs produced from matrices, a technique close to the world of goldsmiths, medal-makers and engravers. Its imagery speaks of loyalty, sacrifice, honour and courage. Yet the most remarkable survival is not on the front. It is underneath. The red silk taffeta, now faded to pale pink, is preserved not only inside the box, but also on the underside, where it once protected precious surfaces from direct contact with the object. Together with the surviving upper knob and the four preserved feet, this detail makes the box an exceptionally eloquent witness to Renaissance material culture. A private treasure. A moral object. A miniature architecture of memory. Altomani & Sons Milan, Pesaro

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