Casket

It is one of the two smaller caskets belonging to the toilet set of Queen Maria Kazimiera purchased by Stanisław Kostka Potocki on February 27th, 1808 in the Parisian store of De Tournier. It was a gift for his wife Aleksandra, née Lubomirski, in order to enrich the exhibition of the royal apartments of the Wilanów Palace. The theme of the marquetry decoration is the preparations of Venus for the meeting with Adonis. Two paintings by Francesco Albani from the series dedicated by Louis XIV in 1685 to the royal collection served as the prototype for the ebenist. "Disarming of the Cupids, or Earth" and "Adonis Brought by Cupids to Venus, or Water"; the scene on the lid shows the clipping of Cupid's wings to prevent him from flying, while sleeping cupids are depicted on the walls.

The item, like other caskets from this set, is classified as a curiosité due to its elaborate and valuable Boulle-style marquetry decoration, qualifying it for luxurious, worthy apartments, and due to its high quality artistic decoration with scenes taken from the paintings of Francesco Albani - a painter appreciated in the Baroque period by Louis XIV and very fashionable during the Enlightenment - a contemporary of Potocki. For the count, as a patriot, the history of the entire toilet complex related to the person of the Polish queen, Marie Casimire, is of exceptional value.

AK