Plate thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 63, The Edwin and Susan Davies Gallery

Plate

1510-1530 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

During the eighth century Iraqi potters began to apply a lustring technique to their work. Taken from glass production, the lustre was created by applying metal compounds to the surface of a usually tin-glazed vessel, which was then submitted to a reduction firing. During this firing, the air supply was reduced causing the resulting carbon monoxide to react with the metallic compounds, converting them in to an irridescent film. Islamic lustre ware was imported in to Italy and can still be seen in the form of basins, or bacini, embedded in the walls of some churches.

By the thirteenth century, the lustring technique had spread through the Islamic world to southern Spain from where it gradually spread northward in to Christian territory. Active trade between the ports of Mansises and Pisa introduced lustre ware to Italy and by the second half of the fifteenth century, the technique had been mastered by the potters at Deruta and shortly after at Gubbio. The former potteries specialised in a straw-coloured lustre, whereas the latter developed a rich ruby-coloured sheen. In this instance, the Islamic technique of lustring is juxtaposed with the Sacred Monogram.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Tin-glazed earthenware
Brief description
Earthenware plate, made in Gubbio, 1510-1520
Physical description
Bowl. Painted in blue and ruby lustre. In the middle, the Sacred Monogram yhs in Gothic characters.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 21.7cm
  • Height: 6.6cm
  • Weight: 0.46kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Marks and inscriptions
'YHS' (monogram in centre of dish)
Object history
Soulages Collecton

Historical significance: By the thirteenth century, the lustring technique had spread through the Islamic world to southern Spain and gradually spread northward in to Christian territory. Active trade between the ports of Mansises and Pisa introduced lustreware to Italy and by the second half of the fifteenth century, the technique had been mastered by the potters at Deruta and shortly after at Gubbio. The former potteries specialised in a straw-coloured lustre, whereas the latter developed a rich ruby-coloured sheen. In this instance, the Islamic technique of lustring is juxtaposed with the Sacred Monogram.

By the thirteenth century, the lustring technique had spread through the Islamic world to southern Spain from where it gradually spread northward in to Christian territory. Active trade between the ports of Mansises and Pisa introduced lustreware to Italy and by the second half of the fifteenth century, the technique had been mastered by the potters at Deruta and shortly after at Gubbio. The former potteries specialised in a straw-coloured lustre, whereas the latter developed a rich ruby-coloured sheen. In this instance, the Islamic technique of lustring is juxtaposed with the Sacred Monogram.
Historical context
During the eighth century Iraqi potters began to apply a lustring technique to their work. Taken from glass production, the lustre was created by applying metal compounds to the surface of a usually tin-glazed vessel, which was then submitted to a reduction firing. During this firing, the air supply was reduced and causing the resulting carbon monoxide to react with the metallic compounds converting them in to an irridescent film. Islamic lustre ware was imported in to Italy and can still be seen in the form of basins, or bacini, embedded in the walls of some churches.
Summary
During the eighth century Iraqi potters began to apply a lustring technique to their work. Taken from glass production, the lustre was created by applying metal compounds to the surface of a usually tin-glazed vessel, which was then submitted to a reduction firing. During this firing, the air supply was reduced causing the resulting carbon monoxide to react with the metallic compounds, converting them in to an irridescent film. Islamic lustre ware was imported in to Italy and can still be seen in the form of basins, or bacini, embedded in the walls of some churches.

By the thirteenth century, the lustring technique had spread through the Islamic world to southern Spain from where it gradually spread northward in to Christian territory. Active trade between the ports of Mansises and Pisa introduced lustre ware to Italy and by the second half of the fifteenth century, the technique had been mastered by the potters at Deruta and shortly after at Gubbio. The former potteries specialised in a straw-coloured lustre, whereas the latter developed a rich ruby-coloured sheen. In this instance, the Islamic technique of lustring is juxtaposed with the Sacred Monogram.
Bibliographic references
  • Hess, C. The Arts of Fire: Islamic Influences on Glass and Ceramics of the Italian Renaissance. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2004
  • Rackham, B. Italian Maiolica. London: Faber & Faber, 1952
Other number
514 - Rackham (1977)
Collection
Accession number
8905-1863

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Record createdNovember 3, 2006
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