A fine and rare Renaissance period cedarwood box on later oak stand. The box is typical of these early Italian pieces where some design is cut out in low relief and then detail added with poker work or pyrography. The scenes depicted on this box are all religious nature. The front design to the box is faded as would be expected for such an early piece and all that can be made out are elements of the crucifixion. The interior design is beautifully clear and bright, and shows the life of Christ with in the four corners the emblems of the Evangelists. The box is in very good condition for its age, the interior sections have been removed and it is now empty but the rest is all original even the metalwork. The whole has a great original patina and colour. The box would have originally stood on sledge feet however these have been removed probably in the eighteenth century to fit it to the stand. The stand is in oak and English, it is most likely eighteenth century and made for the stand. The...