Dish
ca. 1470 to 1500
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The decoration is scratched through a surface coating of white slip, laid over the darker clay body of the earthenware. In this manner, the decoration stands out as dark lines on a pale background. The decoration is then highlighted with metallic oxides to produce the green and brownish-yellow colours. Finally, the dish is covered with a transparent lead glaze and then fired again in the kiln. It is at this point that the painted coloured oxides would run in the glaze causing the variegated effect you see here.
Incised slipware was a predominantly northern Italian tradition. The abundant, dark-red local clay was used to optimum decorative advantage, when contrasted with fine white clay which could be obtained from Vicenza. Two notable centres of production were Bologna and Ferrara, where the court demanded wares of the highest quality.
Large dishes like this were used for bringing food to the table and serving, as well as for display. Contemporary illustrations, show servants carrying large dishes covered by a second dish, which served as a cover to keep the food hot. The unusually elaborate decoration on the reverse of this dish, suggests that it might have had a dual function of both dish and cover.
Incised slipware was a predominantly northern Italian tradition. The abundant, dark-red local clay was used to optimum decorative advantage, when contrasted with fine white clay which could be obtained from Vicenza. Two notable centres of production were Bologna and Ferrara, where the court demanded wares of the highest quality.
Large dishes like this were used for bringing food to the table and serving, as well as for display. Contemporary illustrations, show servants carrying large dishes covered by a second dish, which served as a cover to keep the food hot. The unusually elaborate decoration on the reverse of this dish, suggests that it might have had a dual function of both dish and cover.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Incised slipware, lead-glazed |
Brief description | Red earthenware covered with a white slip and with incised decoration. North Italian (Ferrara), c.1470-1500 |
Physical description | Large dish with decoration of six tree-climbing cupids and two dragons. On the back a similarly elaborate incised decoration, showing a stag in front of a hurdle in the centre, surrounded by two bands of floral scrolls, the inner one interspersed with five smaller medallions, depicting a female head in profile, a stag, a bird, a hare and a hound. The decoration is scratched through a surface coating of white slip, laid over the darker clay body of the earthenware. Covered with a transparent lead-glaze, partially stained with iron (for amber-brown), manganese (for purple) or copper (for green). |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label | 1. Dish
Italy, probably Ferrara, 1480-1500
The potter has given the cupids greater prominence by painting the surrounding areas with underglaze colours.((TAB) 2009) |
Object history | Purchased from the Bernal Collection |
Historical context | Large dishes like this were used for bringing food to the table and serving, as well as for display. Contemporary illustrations, show servants carrying large dishes covered by a second dish, which served as a cover to keep the food hot. The unusually elaborate decoration on the reverse of this dish, suggests that it might have had a dual function of both dish and cover. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | The decoration is scratched through a surface coating of white slip, laid over the darker clay body of the earthenware. In this manner, the decoration stands out as dark lines on a pale background. The decoration is then highlighted with metallic oxides to produce the green and brownish-yellow colours. Finally, the dish is covered with a transparent lead glaze and then fired again in the kiln. It is at this point that the painted coloured oxides would run in the glaze causing the variegated effect you see here. Incised slipware was a predominantly northern Italian tradition. The abundant, dark-red local clay was used to optimum decorative advantage, when contrasted with fine white clay which could be obtained from Vicenza. Two notable centres of production were Bologna and Ferrara, where the court demanded wares of the highest quality. Large dishes like this were used for bringing food to the table and serving, as well as for display. Contemporary illustrations, show servants carrying large dishes covered by a second dish, which served as a cover to keep the food hot. The unusually elaborate decoration on the reverse of this dish, suggests that it might have had a dual function of both dish and cover. |
Bibliographic references |
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Other number | 1335 - Rackham (1977) |
Collection | |
Accession number | 1805-1855 |
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Record created | December 20, 2005 |
Record URL |
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