Bought from Antonio Marcato of Venice for £7. 17s. Wykes authority RP 8990/1890 Described on accession as "Coffret and cover. Wood. Covered with leather, “cuir bouilli”, decorated with floral designs, the double headed eagle, lions, and birds, symmetrically arranged in green and gold on a red ground (the colours now much worn). The inside is lined with silk brocade woven with flowers in gold and colours. It has a padlock and key. Italian 15th century" Revised June 1899 to "Coffer of wood, covered with leather (cuir bouilli), cut and embossed with conventional foliage and animals and enriched with colours; the inside is lined with silk brocade of the 17th century. It has a screw padlock of chiselled iron. Probably made in a Portuguese colony in the East; 17th century"