Tazza and Cover thumbnail 1
Tazza and Cover thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 145

Tazza and Cover

third quarter 16th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This tazza and cover is one of about seventy surviving pieces made in the mannerist style fashionable at the French court around the middle of the sixteenth century. Known as Saint-Porchaire ware, these pieces were most likely made in or near to Paris rather than in the small potting village of Saint-Porchaire, in the Poitou region of western France, which was well known for its surrounding deposits of uncommonly lightweight and pale clay. The sophisticated design of this object is inspired by contemporary metalwork. Although the maker of Saint-Porchaire remains unknown, the famous sixteenth-century, French ceramist, Bernard Palissy (ca.1510-1590), is often associated with their production. Palissy began his career in the Saintonage, near to the Poitou, and would have been familiar with the much-coveted clay of this region.

Saint-Porchaire ceramics are notable for their rich and delicate decoration. This tazza, like other known pieces, bears an armorial device (the royal arms of France), indicating that these objects were intended for a refined and courtly market. The identity of the fashionably-attired young woman, whose portrait appears on the reverse of the cover, is unknown. Ceramic objects of this quality were highly-valued possessions, intended for display and use on important occasions. The resemblance to porcelain, which was regarded as an extremely precious material, would have given Saint Porchaire ceramics added prestige.


Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Tazza
  • Cover
Materials and techniques
Lead-glazed earthenware, with inlaid and moulded decoration
Brief description
Lead-glazed earthenware tazza and cover of so-called 'Saint-Porchaire' ware, France, Saint-Porchaire or possibly Paris, ca. 1547-59
Physical description
Tazza and cover, white lead-glazed earthenware with impressed decoration inlaid in red-brown clay, including the royal arms of France. On the inside of the lid is a portrait, in profile, of a young woman.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16.5cm
  • Width: 12.5cm
  • With lid height: 16.8cm
  • Without lid height: 9.2cm
Object history
Historical significance: The inclusion of the arms of France suggests that this was a valued and important posssession, intended for display and use on the grandest occasions. The identity of the fashionably attired young woman, whose portrait appears on the reverse of the cover, is uncertain.
Historical context
The sophisticated design of Saint-Porchaire ceramics indicates that these objects were destined for an aristocratic or courtly market. The unusual and natural lightness of the clay further added to their appeal as close imitations of 'true', Oriental porcelain.
Summary
This tazza and cover is one of about seventy surviving pieces made in the mannerist style fashionable at the French court around the middle of the sixteenth century. Known as Saint-Porchaire ware, these pieces were most likely made in or near to Paris rather than in the small potting village of Saint-Porchaire, in the Poitou region of western France, which was well known for its surrounding deposits of uncommonly lightweight and pale clay. The sophisticated design of this object is inspired by contemporary metalwork. Although the maker of Saint-Porchaire remains unknown, the famous sixteenth-century, French ceramist, Bernard Palissy (ca.1510-1590), is often associated with their production. Palissy began his career in the Saintonage, near to the Poitou, and would have been familiar with the much-coveted clay of this region.

Saint-Porchaire ceramics are notable for their rich and delicate decoration. This tazza, like other known pieces, bears an armorial device (the royal arms of France), indicating that these objects were intended for a refined and courtly market. The identity of the fashionably-attired young woman, whose portrait appears on the reverse of the cover, is unknown. Ceramic objects of this quality were highly-valued possessions, intended for display and use on important occasions. The resemblance to porcelain, which was regarded as an extremely precious material, would have given Saint Porchaire ceramics added prestige.
Bibliographic references
  • Hildyard, Robin. European Ceramics. London : V&A Publications, 1999. 144 p., ill. ISBN 185177260X
  • Thierry Crépin-Leblond, Une Orfèvrerie de Terre: Bernard Palissy et la céramique de Saint-Porchaire, Musée National de la Renaissance, 1998
  • Leonard N. Amico, Bernard Palissy, Flammarion, 1996
Collection
Accession number
8715&A-1863

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Record createdNovember 19, 2002
Record URL
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