Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Metalware, Room 116, The Belinda Gentle Gallery

Dish

ca. 1500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This dish is typical of those made in Nuremberg and Aachen about 1500. It is larger, shallower and has a wider rim than the dishes fashionable in the previous century. Such dishes were made for display on middle-class buffets or for use with a ewer to wash one’s hands at mealtimes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brass with a stamped design
Brief description
Wide brass dish, decorated with a stamped design of thistles and lobes, with a shallow bowl and plain rim
Physical description
Wide brass dish, decorated with a stamped design of thistles and lobes, with a shallow bowl and plain rim
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 13.5in
Gallery label
Belinda Gentle Metalware Gallery (Room 116) DISH Brass, raised, embossed and chased Nuremberg, Germany; about 1500 This dish is typical of those made in Nuremberg and Aachen about 1500. It is larger, shallower and has a wider rim than the dishes fashionable in the previous century. Such dishes were made for display on middle-class buffets or for use with a ewer to wash one's hands at mealtimes. Museum no. 7844-1861(November 2006)
Object history
Brass dishes such as this example were owned by the wealthy "middling classes" and the aristocracy. Although they were produced in large numbers there is evidence to suggest that they were considered important possessions and were sometimes kept as family heirlooms.

Historical significance: This dish was most likely made in Nuremberg. Nuremberg was the leading centre for base metal production in Europe. It was at the peak of its production during the 15th and 16th centuries. Unlike other production centres which were governed by guilds, Nuremberg craftsmanship was governed by the town councils. The councils were made up members of the most powerful Nuremberg families who controlled the standard of craftsmanship within the town. The strictest professions were the trades bound by oath. Craftsmen had to take an oath to follow strict rules of production in order to be able to practice their trade. The Basin Beaters, who made brass dishes and bowls, became an oath bound trade in 1471. Rules included a restriction on the number of apprentices and journeymen each master could have and a regulation that apprentices must be citizens of Nuremberg. This helped to protect the town's production and to ensure that no one craftsman became more powerful than the rest.

The organisation of trade in Nuremberg has evidence of early capitalism. Large trading houses took economic control of trades such as the basin beaters trade. Merchants would give money or materials in advance along with a share of the profits on the understanding that craftsmen would only make for his employer. Thus trading houses took control of every aspect of the trade from raw materials, to manufacture and ultimate sale.

Although Nuremberg was the largest production centre, brass dishes were also made in Dinant and the surrounding area from Bouvingnes to Aachen. They may also have been produced in the Netherlands. The dishes kept the same style and decoration regardless of their origin. From these centres, dishes were sold all over Europe including Spain and England.
Historical context
Brass dishes with embossed designs were used within the home. Deep dishes were probably filled with water to wash one's hands whilst larger shallower plates were most likely used for dining. Although such dishes had a functional purpose, they were primarily used as decorative objects. Contemporary paintings show that they were hung upon the wall or placed upon dressers when not in use. These decorative dishes may have been purchased by wealthy townspeople trying to emulate the European courts, who in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries displayed decorative domestic objects made from precious metals or exotic materials to show off their wealth and splendour. Brass provided a less expensive alternative to the silver and gold displayed in the courts. As all metal was expensive in this period, brass dishes still conveyed wealth and style to guests. Some dishes are inscribed with an ownership mark which shows that these objects were significant possessions.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This dish is typical of those made in Nuremberg and Aachen about 1500. It is larger, shallower and has a wider rim than the dishes fashionable in the previous century. Such dishes were made for display on middle-class buffets or for use with a ewer to wash one’s hands at mealtimes.
Collection
Accession number
7844-1861

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Record createdMarch 19, 2008
Record URL
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