The cista, named the Cista Ficoroni after its first owner, the antiquarian Francesco de' Ficoroni, was discovered in the Colombella necropolis of Palestrina, the ancient Praeneste, in 1738. The casket is made of finely engraved metal foil, two ornate friezes framing a representation taken from the legend of the Argonauts, the adventurous journey to Colchis made by 50 Greek heroes aboard the ship named Argo. The feet of the cista are of cast bronze in the shape of feline paws crushing a frog. They are attached to the main body of the cista by plaques with engraved images of the heroes Heracles and Iolaus, who took part in the quest, and of the god Eros, who played a central role in the love between Jason and Medea.
A deer and wild boar hunting scene is engraved on the lid, whose handle in cast bronze represents a group of Dionysus and satyrs. The lid features an inscription in archaic Latin (Novios Plautios med Romai fecid | Dindia Macolnia fileai dedit) telling the history of the artefact. It was created in Rome by Novios Plautios (perhaps a freedman originating from Campania who had moved to Rome) and later donated by Dindia Macolnia to her daughter (evidently as a wedding gift)