Dish with two lovers
The likely contexts for the display of large dishes are not easily identified. Clues might be found in a dish's subject matter, which was often either amorous—as with this embracing couple—or religious. Both subjects are essentially domestic, lending themselves to the private spaces of a wealthy home. The metallic sheen on this dish, the result of a difficult technique called lustering, would have made it all the more desirable to a Renaissance patron.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dish with two lovers
- Date: ca. 1520–50
- Culture: Italian, Deruta
- Medium: Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware), lustered
- Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 3 5/8 × 16 5/8 in. (9.2 × 42.2 cm)
- Classification: Ceramics-Pottery
- Credit Line: Purchase, 1884
- Object Number: 84.2.11
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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