Armorial Jug (boccale)

Unknown

ca. 1570–80 · Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) · Robert Lehman Collection

This jug bears the coat of arms of the Pucci, a prominent Florentine family, which features the head of a Black man in profile, a reference to their original surname, Saracini (meaning "Saracens"). Similar images had frequently appeared in European heraldry since the thirteenth century. Rooted in the subjugation of Muslims and peoples of Arab and African descent, this imagery often signified triumph in the Crusades or involvement in the slave trade. Here, a white band tied around the man’s head is inscribed with three T’s, an acronym for the Pucci family motto: Tempore tempora tempera (Time alleviates all troubles).

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1570–80

Medium

Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)

Culture

Italian, Montelupo

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975