Cassone with painted front panel depicting the Conquest of Trebizond

The cassone is constructed from poplar wood with a linen covering, over which a gesso ground has been applied and gilded. The painted front panel is executed in tempera with gold highlights, a technique typical of fifteenth-century Florentine cassoni. The painting depicts the Conquest of Trebizond in a narrative, history-painting style, showcasing detailed figural scenes and architectural elements. The gilded gesso and polychromy lend a rich, decorative surface appropriate for a wedding chest.

The cassone is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is cataloged under the accession number 14.39, reflecting a 1914 acquisition. No exhibition history is provided in the available sources.

This Florentine cassone, or marriage chest, features a painted front panel depicting a military triumph. Crafted from poplar wood with polychromed and gilded gesso, the panel itself is executed in tempera and gold. While the chest originally served a domestic function, the elaborate scene transforms it into a political statement.

The panel, attributed to the workshop of Apollonio di Giovanni and Marco del Buono, presents an anachronistic narrative that comments on contemporary events through historical allegory.

The panel's anachronistic depiction of Tamerlane's victory over the Ottomans, set against the recently fallen city of Trebizond, reflects Florentine political and commercial anxieties. Following Trebizond's capitulation to Mehmed II in 1461, the panel's message would have resonated with Florentine interests. An accord in December 1460 had established a Florentine presence in the region, making the prospect of Ottoman expansion a direct concern. The artwork thus serves as a visual expression of hope for a check on Ottoman dominance.