Inkstand with A Madman Distilling His Brains

Unknown

ca. 1600 · Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

In this whimsical maiolica sculpture, a well-dressed man leans forward in his seat with his head in a covered pot set above a fiery hearth. The vessel beside the hearth almost certainly held ink. The man’s actions are explained by an inscription on the chair: "I distill my brain and am totally happy." Thus the task of the writer is equated with distillation—the process through which a liquid is purified by heating and cooling, extracting its essence.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1600

Medium

Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)

Culture

Italian, probably Urbino

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1904