Tazza thumbnail 1
Tazza thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Glass, Room 131

Tazza

1550-1625 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This type of shallow dish on a foot is called a tazza. It could be used for serving 'sweetmeats'. These were the different sorts of sugared and spiced fruits, conserves, biscuits and other confectionery that made up the final 'sweet' course of a banquet. Tazzas also served as drinking glasses for red wine. It required practice and the utmost care to drink from such a glass without spilling, and being able to do so was a sign of great sophistication.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Mould-blown glass
Brief description
Tazza, blown glass, probably Italy (Venice), 1550-1625
Dimensions
  • Height: 15.0cm
  • Width: 17.0cm
Styles
Credit line
Soulages Collection
Object history
bought from the Soulages Collection
Summary
This type of shallow dish on a foot is called a tazza. It could be used for serving 'sweetmeats'. These were the different sorts of sugared and spiced fruits, conserves, biscuits and other confectionery that made up the final 'sweet' course of a banquet. Tazzas also served as drinking glasses for red wine. It required practice and the utmost care to drink from such a glass without spilling, and being able to do so was a sign of great sophistication.
Bibliographic reference
Illustrated in A. Nesbitt, A descriptive catalogue of the glass vessels in the South Kensington Museum, London 1878 p.80, and Plate XVI
Other number
8419 - Glass gallery number
Collection
Accession number
5567-1859

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
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