In Venice, the production of brass dishes flourished in the first half of the 16th century. They were very elaborately decorated but not with traditional European linear ornamentation. During this period, Venice traded and fought extensively with the Turkish and Arab empires that bordered the Mediterranean basin. Venetian merchants brought back to the city Near Eastern craftsmen and goods. These Saracenic metalworkers and objects had an immediate influence on the indigenous population and eventually on the rest of Europe.

Unlike northern European brasswork, Saracenic brasswork was almost always engraved and inlaid with silver wire, a technique known as ‘damascene’. The decoration was extensive, often covering the entire surface of an object. The Venetian Muslim community produced splendidly damascened brassware, some of it signed in Arabic by the maker.

The arabesque pattern, based on a stylised plant with a winding stem, was studied and copied by contemporary Italian artists. By the middle of the 16th century, the arabesque as a form of ornament was beginning to influence craftworkers all over Europe. It became incorporated into the development of European ornamental design until the decline of the Rococo style in the late 18th century.

The centre of this dish is engraved with a radiating design of 12 panels of arabesques. The rim is decorated with round and oblong panels of arabesques.