An important german wooden chest covered in ivory... Lot n° 18

An important german wooden chest covered in ivory and painted ivory with gilded bronze fixings. Augsburg. Circa 1650. Possibly from the atelier of Melchior Baumgartner (1621-1686) Magnificent chest, probably for keeping jewels in. The central body has two doors which show two biblical scenes of Adam and Eve when they are opened. The inside has a central body in the shape of a shrine surrounded by small drawers. The whole is decorated with magnificent miniatures of scenes from the Old Testament, such as the Great Flood, the Tower of Babel and the Sacrifice of Isaac, following the engravings by Albrecht Dürer The upper part ends with a folding lid and a lower drawer which rests on a cornice with feet, making a base. A similar cabinet is preserved at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, with inventory number W.60-1923. As we can read in the description of their cabinet: “ By about 1600, Augsburg in Germany was already the centre of the production of cabinets, mostly in ebony and, more rarely, in ivory, mounted with silver or gilt brass, enamel and semi-precious stones. Because these cabinets were made from precious materials and assembled with such skill, they were regarded as fit for princes and noblemen and served as diplomatic gifts”. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O61320/table-cabinet-baumgartner-melchior/ 27 x 24 x 18 cm.