Pair of marriage chests: The Morelli Chest

Weddings have always been occasions for flamboyant spending. In elite Florentine society, wealthy husbands-to-be commissioned pairs of sumptuously decorated marriage chests. The Italian name for these chests is cassoni.

Traditionally, the newlyweds and the groom’s family paraded the cassoni in the streets from the bride’s family home to her new abode. Containing her dowry of linen and fine clothing, cassoni were displayed in the most important and lavishly furnished room in the palace.

This pair celebrates the marriage of a rich Florentine merchant, Lorenzo Morelli, to an aristocratic young woman, Vaggia Nerli, in 1472. Both families’ coats of arms are displayed on the corners of each chest.

These cassoni are unique in having survived as a pair with their original back panels, here displayed on the wall above. They are decorated with small scenes framed by curtains imitating richly patterned silk. A luxury import from the Islamic Mediterranean, such fabrics are also hinted at inside the painted lid — a reminder of the chests’ contents.