This charming casket is decorated throughout with the innovative technique of cutting up polychrome-decorated prints to imitate the visual effects of lacquer, known variously as lacca povera, arte povera, or lacca contrafatta. This technique involved laying prints on a light-colored ground, often pale blue, yellow or white, which was then covered with a specific yellow varnish called sandracca. The intent of the sandracca was to simulate the shiny and glossy surface of Asian lacquer while attenuating the contrast of the glued printed vignettes. With time, the multiple layers of sandracca would turn slightly darker and create an intricate network of fine craquelure which can be seen under close examination. On this casket, the printed scenes, which vary from extravagant rocailles and architectural capricci to galante scenes, are all set on particularly colorful ground, which, combined with the highly sculptural overall form and giltwood accents, provide a tremendously rich visual scheme.

In Italy, the birthplace of lacca povera, the inspiration for this type of decoration originated with the lively commercial exchanges that port cities like Venice and Genoa entertained with Asia throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, During this time, nearly every type of lacquered good was being imported from both Japan and China. Venice may have been one of the first cities in Europe to produce imitations of Asian lacquer, but with time, every region of Italy developed its own distinctive tradition, producing japanned furniture. Several centers for the production of arte povera by so-called laccatori soon flourished in various cities to satisfy growing demand for this lacquer work. Italian imitation lacquer proved more time and cost-effective than many other attempts at the same effect, and eventually became a substitute not only for its Asian counterpart, but also for the traditional lacquer work performed in other European centers such as Berlin, Dresden, and Paris. A comparable casket sold Christie's, London, 6 December 2012, lot 191 (£39,650).