The Metropolitan Museum of Art has amassed quite a collection of important and detailed boxes, caskets, and small chests over the past century or so. This delightful website features over 100 examples of such works taken from the Museum's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. Visitors can listen to curator Danielle Kisluk-Grosheide talk about some of the works and then browse through the items. The "Collection Database" includes links to the items, and visitors can look at a list of them organized by date, title of work, or image title. The cabinet by the workshop of Melchior Baumgartner from the 17th century is a terrific place to start an adventure through the site. It is a highly intricate object made out of oak, pine, walnut, silver, yellow-metal mounts, and aquamarine-colored silk. Other objects of note here include a tea caddy from the 18th century and an elegant snuffbox from 18th century Germany.
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