Salt
1580-1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Salts usually formed part of a set of tableware which might include basins, jugs, flasks and dishes of varied shape and size. The four shells around the central well each would have held a little salt. Elaborate sets of tableware were commissioned by wealthy patrons but tablewares were also given as gifts. Painting decoration onto tin-glazed earthenware was a difficult skill to master. The grotesque decoration used on pieces like this was derived from ancient Roman sources. Raphael used grotesques as part of the decorative scheme for the Vatican Loggias around 1519, and the taste for grotesque painting on a white ground became increasingly common thereafter.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Ceramic salt in the form of a square altar with four projecting shells; made in Urbino, Patanazzi workshop, 1580-1600 |
| Physical description | The salt has a square base. The top of the object has a central , circular well. This contains the bust of a man in profile to the left. Four shells project at each angle below the central well. The four-sides of the main body of the salt are decorated with grotesques composed of semi-human and winged monsters surrounding cameos of small stick-like figures. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | Object Label (transcribed 16-10-2006)
Salt-cellar, earthenware
Probably painted by Alfonso Patanazi
Italian (Urbino); about 1580-1600
Cat No. 898 8403-1863 |
| Object history | The objects was part of the Soulages Collection |
| Historical context | Salts usually formed part of a set of tableware which might include basins, jugs, flasks and dishes of varied shape and size. Elaborate sets were commissioned by wealthy patrons. Tablewares could also be given as gifts. Painting decoration onto tin-glazed earthenware was a difficult skill to master. The grotesque decoration used on pieces like this was derived from ancient Roman sources. Raphael used grotesques as part of the decorative scheme for the Vatican Loggias around 1519, and the taste for grotesque painting on a white ground became increasingly common. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Salts usually formed part of a set of tableware which might include basins, jugs, flasks and dishes of varied shape and size. The four shells around the central well each would have held a little salt. Elaborate sets of tableware were commissioned by wealthy patrons but tablewares were also given as gifts. Painting decoration onto tin-glazed earthenware was a difficult skill to master. The grotesque decoration used on pieces like this was derived from ancient Roman sources. Raphael used grotesques as part of the decorative scheme for the Vatican Loggias around 1519, and the taste for grotesque painting on a white ground became increasingly common thereafter. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 8403-1863 |
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| Record created | November 24, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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