Large German ormolu and porcelain casket

This superb casket features a rectangular ormolu body, which is set on four scrolled ormolu feet. The body is adorned with guilloché ormolu bands and corner mounts, which take the form of caryatid-type putti sculptures, cornucopias, flowers, foliate cartouches, and scrolled acanthus leaves. At the centre of the front of the body is an ormolu grotesque mask escutcheon. The hinged cover of the casket is set with comparable ormolu mounts and is topped by an ormolu handle decorated with twin putti busts.

The four faces of the body, and the four sides of the domed top, are inset with beautiful porcelain plaques. The plaques feature vignettes of courting couples in countryside settings, all above a white ground. The interior of the casket is lined with plush maroon velvet.

The porcelain plaques are attributed to KPM.