COFFER, NO. 9—1890 (VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM).
The coffret, No. 9—1890, is an interesting instance of this adaptability of gesso and the extraordinary variety and richness of effect obtainable; almost emulating carved work in the bolder parts of its relief, and yet with a softness and richness of its own. The designs are singularly interesting and spirited, and the whole work fully deserves the encomium suggested by its motto (in Lombardic letters on the lid) "Onesta e bella."
GESSO BOX, NO. 5757—1859 (VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM).
In No. 5757—1859 we have another good example of gesso decoration on a small scale, and its rich ornate effect in a well-balanced distribution of ornament adapted to a circular form, showing the fine sense of scale and quantity in ornament which distinguishes Italian work of this period—the first half of the fifteenth century.
