Chest with Coat of Arms and Emblems of the Medici Family

Gallery 309, European Art 1100-1500, third floor

Main Building

Chest with Coat of Arms and Emblems of the Medici Family

c. 1450-1460

Artist/maker unknown, Italian

Within the wreaths on this painted chest are the coat of arms of the Medici family, who dominated the political and cultural life of Florence during the 1400s. The family’s heraldic symbols are also present, including the device of a diamond ring and motto with the word "senper" (semper is Latin for "always"), which signified the Medici’s eternal fame. While the pomegranates and pinecones in the wreaths are attributes of fertility—and often connected with marriage objects—the use of symbols linked to only one family suggests this was a traveling or storage chest, rather than a marriage chest. Heraldic emblems, an important feature for both nuptial and everyday objects, are used here to identify and honor the owners of the chest and its contents.

Gallery 309, European Art 1100-1500, third floor

Object Details

Title:

Chest with Coat of Arms and Emblems of the Medici Family

Date:

c. 1450-1460

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Italian

Medium:

Poplar with painted decoration; iron hardware

Dimensions:

19 1/8 x 63 5/16 x 19 1/4 inches (48.6 x 160.8 x 48.9 cm)

Classification:

Furniture/Furnishings

Credit Line:

Purchased with funds contributed by Mrs. William E. Helme, 1930

Accession Number:

1930-81-6

Geography:

Made in Florence, Italy, Europe

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Gallery 309, European Art 1100-1500, third floor

Main Building

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