The "Pandora" Casket: A Magnificent Pre-Raphaelite Discovery

Original Studio Prop for Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882)
A monumental and historically casket, identified as the primary physical model for one of the most iconic images in Victorian art: Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s "Pandora" (1871). This magnificent object is a cornerstone of Pre-Raphaelite studio history, serving as the literal vessel for the "terrible evils" of the world in Rossetti’s dark, symbolic masterpiece.
The casket is masterfully constructed in the form of a medieval chasse, featuring a gabled lid adorned with vibrant glass cabochons and a series of finely chased relief figures of saints and angels housed under architectural blind arches. This sacred, ecclesiastical aesthetic was specifically chosen by Rossetti to create a chilling contrast with the pagan myth of Pandora, adding a layer of complex Victorian sacrilege to the painting.
Provenance of Supreme Importance: This artifact boasts an unassailable and extraordinary provenance, linking it directly to the inner sanctum of Rossetti’s 16 Cheyne Walk studio:
The Rossetti Estate Sale (1882): Formally identified as Lot 397 in the historic Wharton, Martin & Free sale catalogue of July 1882, which dispersed the artist's most personal belongings after his death.
The Watts-Dunton Connection: Accompanied by a rare handwritten note confirming it was purchased for Rossetti’s closest confidant and trustee, G. Theodore Watts-Dunton, the guardian of the artist's legacy.
Museum Exhibition History: Bearing an original vintage loan label: "On Loan from J.H. Maitland, 25 June." As J.A. Fuller Maitland was a titan of the Pre-Raphaelite circle, this confirms the casket was treated as a sacred artistic relic and exhibited in major memorial galleries shortly after the artist’s passing.
Rarely does a studio prop survive with such impeccable documentation. The "Pandora" Casket is not merely an antique; it is a silent witness to Rossetti’s creative obsession and his meticulous search for the perfect "curiosity" to inhabit his dreamlike visions. Its survival allows scholars a unique, tactile connection to the physical reality of the Pre-Raphaelite studio. Tooled Brass over an original wooden core with period glass inserts. 28.5 x 14 x H 25 cm