Dish thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 62, The Foyle Foundation Gallery

Dish

1535 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This piece belongs to a now widely dispersed service of istoriato maiolica made in Urbino for the Grand Master of France Anne de Montmorency (1493-1567) in 1535.
There are around 20 known pieces belonging to this service; plates of different sizes and shapes, candlesticks and a flask. All the pieces depict classical mythology and include Anne de Montmorency coat of arms in a slightly inaccurate rendering........
Montmorency was the greatest private art patron of the French Renaissance.
No documentation has come to light about the commission of this service, but it is likely that it was a diplomatic gift from Italy to one of the most influential men at the French court.

Most of the pieces from the set are inscribed on the back with the name of the workshop in which they were made that of Guido Durantino in Urbino in 1535.
Guido, who later took the name of Fontana, was head of one of the most prolific workshops in Urbino from the 1530s and he employed some of the best istoriato painters available. Although the handwriting on the inscriptions belongs to the same person, there are significant stylistic differences among the various pieces which perhaps suggests more than one painter worked on the set.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Tin-glazed earthenware
Brief description
Dish depicting a scene from the Trojan war with Montmorency arms, made in Urbino, Italy, dated 1535, tin-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 30.5cm
  • Depth: 4.5cm
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Marks and inscriptions
'Guerre at tribulatini [sic]/ de Troiani Terreste e / Maritimo: Ovi: Meta: / In botega de Maestro Guido / Durantino in Urbino 1535' (Painted on the back.)
Translation
Wars and tribulations of the Trojans by land and sea
Gallery label
Dish depicting a scene from the Trojan war with Montmorency arms Made in Urbino, Italy dated 1535 Inscription: 'Guerre at tribulatini [sic]/ de Troiani Terreste e/ Maritimo: Ovi: Meta:/ In botega de Maestro Guido/ Durantino in Urbino 1535' Tin-glazed earthenware C.28-1943 Bequeathed by Mr R.J. Dyson [Wars and tribulations of the Trojans by land and sea](16/07/2008)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Mr R. J. Dyson
Object history
Formerly on loan, No.1 Compare Rackham, Catalogue, No. 626
Production
1) See Dedalo , II, 1921-2 pp. 528-531. A. del Vita, "Raccolte italiane di Maiolica, I La Raccolta Frassinato." Coll. Conte Massimo di Frassinato, Florence.
2) See J.V.G. Mallet "In Bottega di Maestro Guido Durantino in Urbino", Burlington Magazine Jan. 1987, and Appendix (Cat. 15).
3) For other pieces of the Montmorency Service see Rackham, Cat. Nos. 626 and 627.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This piece belongs to a now widely dispersed service of istoriato maiolica made in Urbino for the Grand Master of France Anne de Montmorency (1493-1567) in 1535.
There are around 20 known pieces belonging to this service; plates of different sizes and shapes, candlesticks and a flask. All the pieces depict classical mythology and include Anne de Montmorency coat of arms in a slightly inaccurate rendering........
Montmorency was the greatest private art patron of the French Renaissance.
No documentation has come to light about the commission of this service, but it is likely that it was a diplomatic gift from Italy to one of the most influential men at the French court.

Most of the pieces from the set are inscribed on the back with the name of the workshop in which they were made that of Guido Durantino in Urbino in 1535.
Guido, who later took the name of Fontana, was head of one of the most prolific workshops in Urbino from the 1530s and he employed some of the best istoriato painters available. Although the handwriting on the inscriptions belongs to the same person, there are significant stylistic differences among the various pieces which perhaps suggests more than one painter worked on the set.
Bibliographic references
  • Mallet , J.V.G. In botega di Maestro Guido Durantino in Urbino. Burlington Magazine. CXXIX, 1987. 129 and appendix (cat. 15).
  • Brody, M.J. Istoriato Maiolica with the Arms of Giacomo Nordi, Bishop of Urbino, 1523-1540. [Masters Thesis, Cooper-Hewitt New York 1998]. pp.45-46.
Collection
Accession number
C.28-1943

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 16, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest