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The Betrothal or Marriage of the Virgin: C.270-1991

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An image of Dish
An image of Dish
Current Location: In storage

Titles

The Betrothal or Marriage of the Virgin

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown (Uncertain)

Entities

Categories

Description

Renaissance maiolica dish, painted in polychrome with The Betrothal or Marriage of the Virgin.

Earthenware, tin-glazed overall; the reverse pale beige. Painted in blue, green, yellow, orange, brown, manganese-purple, and white.Circular with narrow rim and deep curved well, standing on a footring.
The Betrothal or Marriage of the Virgin. Mary and Joseph stand on either side of the High Priest in a room with a tiled floor. Two men stand watching on the right, and two women and a child on the left with the heads of two more men behind them. A narrow blue and wider yellow band encircle the edge. On the back, `SAN MATHEO/CAPI' inscribed in blue inside the footring, one yellow band round the foot, two on the shoulder, and one before the rim.

Notes

History note: Perhaps the `Lyons tazza w. a marriage scene c. 1590' purchased in June 1918 from Simmons, Hanway Co., by H.S. Reitlinger (d.1950); the Reitlinger Trust, Maidenhead, from which transferred in 1991.

Legal notes

H.S. Reitlinger Bequest, 1950

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 29.1 cm
Height: 4.7 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1950) by Reitlinger, Henry Scipio

Dating

16th Century, Late
Renaissance
Circa 1580 CE - 1590 CE

Note

Probably Urbino or Lyon

School or Style

Renaissance

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colours ( blue, green, yellow, orange, brown, manganese-purple, and white)

Materials used in production

Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Tin-glazing : Earthenware, tin-glazed overall; the reverse pale beige. Painted in blue, green, yellow, orange, brown, manganese-purple, and white.

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: remains of a circular label

  • Text: 287/B
  • Method of creation: Inscribed in faded black ink
  • Type: Label
  • Text: SAN MATHEO/CAPI
  • Location: On back, inside the footring
  • Method of creation: Inscribed in blue
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.270-1991
Primary reference Number: 73931
Packing number: EURCER 365

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 30 April 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 (2025) "The Betrothal or Marriage of the Virgin" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73931 Accessed: 2025-12-05 06:07:42

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/73931 |title=The Betrothal or Marriage of the Virgin |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 06:07:42|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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