1985.R.816, Box, France, c. 1475–1550

Sometimes called girdle boxes, small portable strongboxes like this one are believed to have been used for transporting important documents or money in the late medieval and early Renaissance periods. Constructed of a wooden core covered with sheets of wrought and pierced iron and fitted with a large lock, this box was well protected from the dangers inherent in travel during this era. The rings on the side were probably used to attach the box to the messenger's belt for further security. 

Small portable boxes like this one are believed to have been used for transporting messages in the late medieval and early Renaissance periods. Constructed of a wooden core covered with sheets of wrought and pierced iron and fitted with a large lock, this box was well protected from the dangers inherent in travel during this era. The rings on the side were probably used to attach the box to the messenger's belt for further security. 

Dallas Museum of Art, Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1995), 13.

Sometime called girdle boxes, these small strongboxes were used by couriers to carry important documents or money. This wood box is reinforced with iron strips and a tracery of pierced iron. Note the formidable lock and the rings used to attach the box to the messenger's belt. 

Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1985), 177.

Until 1985: Emery Reves (1904-1983) and Wendy Reves (1916-2007) (owned jointly), La Pausa, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France [1]

From 1985: Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, gift of Wendy Reves (1916-2007) [1]

[1] According to: Olivier Meslay and Martha MacLeod, From Chanel to Reves (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2015), 4-5.

Apply to objects where number equals 1985.R.816