Urbino Maiolica Pilgrim Bottle

Possiblypossibly by Fontana Workshop (Italian ceramics workshop, active from the 1540s to the 1580s)

Possiblypossibly by Antonio Pattanazzi Workshop (Italian ceramics workshop, active from the 1540s to the 1580s)

Collections

European Decorative Art Highlights

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Dateca. 1560-1590

Mediumtin-glazed earthenware

DescriptionThis pilgrim bottle in a flattened pear shape is decorated with arabesques and central medallions depicting a satyr one one side and Bacchus, the Roman god primarily associated with wine, agriculture, and fertility on the other side. The handles in the form of horned grotesque masks have curling beards that become relief volutes complementing the shape of the bottle.

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. The Arabella D. Huntington Memorial Art Collection.

Status

On view

Label TextMaiolica was prized for the brilliant and refined quality of its decoration, made possible by the ceramics' tin-based glaze. The technique was developed by Islamic craftsmen and reached Italy in the late Middle Ages via North Africa and Spain. By the 16th century, Italian craftsmen began to paint detailed narrative scenes and, later in the century, grotesques, patterns of fantastic figures derived from ancient Roman wall paintings. Maiolica took many forms, including functional jars, bowls, and other wares as well as fancier works intended solely for display, such as the flask here, whose shape mimics the hollowed-out gourds in which travelers carried drinking water.

Object number27.169