Basin with classicizing head

Unknown

ca. 1500–1510 · Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

As diners ate mainly with their hands during the Renaissance, a ewer and basin were often kept on the sideboard for washing. The companion to this basin has been lost. In its center is a roundel with a raised rim, which would have secured the ewer’s hollow foot. The portrait profile modeled after ancient Roman coins becomes visible when the ewer is removed.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1500–1510

Medium

Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)

Culture

Italian, Montelupo

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1946