Jewelry casket 1857

This jewelry casket was carved by Pietro Giusti sometime in the mid-19th century. Griffins, winged lions, and putti populate this scene, all recurring motifs from antiquity, revived during the Renaissance. The griffin, a hybrid creature, symbolizes strength and vigilance. Its presence hearkens back to ancient Greece and Rome, where it guarded treasures. Yet, even further East, in ancient Persia, the griffin embodied divine power, a protector of kings. The putti, or cherubic infants, are incarnations of love, and are descendants of Cupid and Psyche. Their form, though, finds roots in pagan art, where they were symbols of earthly desires and the soul’s journey. Note how these symbols are far from static; they migrate across cultures and epochs. They are vessels of collective memory and subconscious echoes, shaped and reshaped by each new age. Their emotional power remains potent, engaging us in a continuous dialogue across time.