Object Description
Antique gilt bronze and malachite casket by Monbro Fils Ainé
French, mid 19th Century
Height 68cm, width 92cm, depth 52cm
This marriage casket is a wonderful piece of nineteenth century French design. The casket is wrought from malachite and gilt bronze, with the malachite being a later refinish. The body of the casket is serpentine in profile, with the sides rising from a narrower foot to a flared rim via an S-scroll curve. The casket is raised on four gilt bronze mythical hybrid putti feet, and the escutcheon is crafted from gilt bronze in a foliate manner. The domed hinged top of the casket is surmounted by a pair of gilt bronze figures centred with a medallion engraved with ‘AP’. The casket opens to reveal a green velvet lined interior. The lockplate is signed ‘Monbro Fils Ainé A Paris’.