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Dish: C.200-1991

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Pottery: Unidentified Deruta pottery

Entities

Categories

Description

Renaissance maiolica dish, painted in blue and with dull silver-yellow lustre with a repeating design of arabesques, scrolls and flowers.

Earthenware, tin-glazed overall, the reverse greyish, speckled and flawed. Painted in blue, and with dull silver-yellow lustre.
Shape approximately 63. Circular with narrow sloping rim, shallow sides and wide, flat centre, standing on the reverse greyish, speckled and flawed.
A repeating design of arabesques, scrolls, four-petalled and daisy flowers radiates from a central lustred disk. The rim is encircled by a blue band and a lustre band.

Notes

History note: Probably the `Deruta lustre plate c. 1550, conventional design' purchased from Battersby Art Co. on 14 June 1934 by H.S. Reitlinger (d.1950); the Reitlinger Trust, Maidenhead, from which transferred in 1991.

Legal notes

H.S. Reitlinger Bequest, 1950, transferred from the Reitlinger Trust, 1991

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 38.2 cm
Height: 5.8 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Deruta ⪼ Umbria ⪼ Italy

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1991-04-29) by Reitlinger, Henry Scipio

Dating

16th Century, Mid
Renaissance
Circa 1530 - 1560

Note

Lustred arabesque patterns were probably derived from Valencian lustre ware. They appear in at least three different forms: most commonly as on this dish, with petals or arches formed by arabesques, scrolls, four-petalled and daisy-like flowers radiating from a central disk; a reticulated design without prominent scrolls, and with or without a central disk; and a less structured arrangement of lighter arabesques, foliate scrolls and flowers. Maiolica decorated with these patterns has been attributed to Pesaro, as have other blue and silver-yellow lustrewares in the past, and there have been recent adherents to a Pesaro attribution for this group. A few sherds have been found with the remains of a kiln at Pesaro, but many more with similar decoration have been recovered at Deruta. The only dated example is a dish or cover of 1514, once in the Adda collection. It is therefore unlikely that the majority of this type was made by the Lanfranco workshop at Pesaro in the 1550s and 1560s, although attempts may have been made to imitate Deruta lustreware there. The form of this dish and its rather dull lustre probably indicate that was made nearer to 1550 than to 1515. Comparable lustre designs appear on Deruta display dishes, large shallow dishes with narrow rims, and ewer basins. They also appear on closed forms, such as two-handled vases of two shapes, small jugs and ewers, and a standing bowl. All these forms are similar to those with other kinds of decoration attributed to Deruta, which strengthens the argument that this design, like others in blue and silver-yellow lustre, was executed there rther than at Pesaro.

School or Style

Renaissance

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colour ( blue) reduced pigment lustre ( silver-yellow)

Materials used in production

Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Tin-glazing : Earthenware, tin-glazed overall, the reverse greyish, speckled and flawed. Painted in blue, and with dull silver-yellow lustre.

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: oval with gold border

  • Text: 42
  • Method of creation: Inscribed in pencil
  • Type: Label

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.200-1991
Primary reference Number: 48567
Packing number: ISCER 967
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Sunday 20 August 2023 Last processed: Thursday 1 February 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Dish" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/48567 Accessed: 2024-12-25 15:59:43

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/48567 |title=Dish |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-25 15:59:43|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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