Italy / c. 1590
Powder Flask
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Powder Flask as arms and armor (Italy · c. 1590).
This powder flask depicts a mythological scene that precipitated the Trojan War. Here we see the Trojan prince Paris giving a golden apple to Aphrodite, the goddess who reciprocates by offering him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as gilt brass over fabric covered wood.
The museum's collection notes: Luxury powder flasks served as highly visible badges of ranks. Many highly decorated flasks, like this example, embody all the allure and characteristics of a work of art. This flask depicts an ancient Greek story in which the youthful Paris must reward the most beautiful woman in the world with a golden apple.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPowder FlaskOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.