Dish
1500 - 1550 (made)
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 63, The Edwin and Susan Davies Gallery| Place Of Origin |
Venetian enamelled and gilt glass was a luxury product exported all over Italy and beyond. The glassmakers of Venice had an excellent and wide spread reputation for high-quality colourless glass and fine workmanship in gilding and enamelling.
Account books and inventories of the time sometimes mention small numbers of 'worked' or 'gilded' glass and often this is stated to have come from Venice or Murano, the Venetian island on which the glass industry was concentrated. The value of such items was often many times as great as that of ordinary glasses and bottles which were used in much greater quantities.
Sometimes dishes, goblet and jugs were decorated with the coats of arms of a particular family. Such objects were specially ordered from Venice and were used for display or occasional practical use at the table during special banquets.
Large dishes like this were used for serving food or possibly as a basin to accompany a ewer, used for hand-washing at the table.
Account books and inventories of the time sometimes mention small numbers of 'worked' or 'gilded' glass and often this is stated to have come from Venice or Murano, the Venetian island on which the glass industry was concentrated. The value of such items was often many times as great as that of ordinary glasses and bottles which were used in much greater quantities.
Sometimes dishes, goblet and jugs were decorated with the coats of arms of a particular family. Such objects were specially ordered from Venice and were used for display or occasional practical use at the table during special banquets.
Large dishes like this were used for serving food or possibly as a basin to accompany a ewer, used for hand-washing at the table.
object details
| Categories | |
| Object Type | |
| Materials and Techniques | mould-blown, enamelled and gilt |
| Brief Description | Dish, enamelled glass, Italy (Venice), 1500-1550 |
| Physical Description | Mould-blown, clear colourless glass, enamelled and gilt in the centre with a coat of arms. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Gallery Label | This piece is painted with the coat of arms of the Gallerani family of Siena. |
| Object history | The arms are probably those of the Gallerani family of Siena. |
| Historical context | Venetian enamelled and gilt glass was a luxury product exported all over Italy and beyond. The glassmakers of Venice had an excellent and wide spread reputation for high-quality colourless glass and fine workmanship in gilding and enamelling. Account books and inventories of the time sometimes mention small numbers of 'worked' or 'gilded' glass and often this is stated to have come from Venice or Murano, the Venetian island on which the glass industry was concentrated. The value of such items was often many times as great as that of ordinary glasses and bottles which were used in much greater quantities. Sometimes dishes, goblet and jugs were decorated with the coats of arms of a particular family. Such objects were specially ordered from Venice and were used for display or occasional practical use at the table during special banquets. Large dishes like this were used for serving food or possibly as a basin to accompany a ewer, used for hand-washing at the table. |
| Summary | Venetian enamelled and gilt glass was a luxury product exported all over Italy and beyond. The glassmakers of Venice had an excellent and wide spread reputation for high-quality colourless glass and fine workmanship in gilding and enamelling. Account books and inventories of the time sometimes mention small numbers of 'worked' or 'gilded' glass and often this is stated to have come from Venice or Murano, the Venetian island on which the glass industry was concentrated. The value of such items was often many times as great as that of ordinary glasses and bottles which were used in much greater quantities. Sometimes dishes, goblet and jugs were decorated with the coats of arms of a particular family. Such objects were specially ordered from Venice and were used for display or occasional practical use at the table during special banquets. Large dishes like this were used for serving food or possibly as a basin to accompany a ewer, used for hand-washing at the table. |
| Other Number | 8354 - Glass gallery number |
| Collection | |
| Accession Number | 5490-1859 |
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| record created | December 13, 1997 |
| Record URL |