Lead-glazed earthenware vessel (possibly a sauceboat or drinking vessel) with figures of Bacchus and Ceres, second half of the 16th century.

Lead-glazed earthenware vessel (possibly a sauceboat or a drinking vessel) with figures of Bacchus and Ceres.

Bequeathed by George Salting, Esq.

Historical significance: The skillfully crafted and elaborately decorated ceramics of Bernard Palissy and his atelier are closely associated with the patronage of the nobility. Sophisticated dining implements, such as this, would have been displayed and used at grand dinners and other special occasions. Guests would have been impressed by the virtuosity of the object and also amused as the contents drained away to reveal the figures beneath. The depiction of Ceres and Bacchus reflects the contemporary preoccupation with the appropriatness of decoration to function.

The elaborate design of this sauce boat reflects the emerging sophistication and increased importance of dining as a refined and complex ceremonial occasiony. A similar sauceboat, decorated with a bathing nymph inside, can be found in the Musée des Beaux Arts, Paris.

As early as the 16th century, the French led Europe in matters of sophisticated dining. The novel products of Bernard Palissy, which successfully combined design elements of metalwork and ceramics, would have complemented the elaborately prepared food and the table settings of the period.

C.2311-1910