Armorial jug
Unknown Artist
1513–34
Medium
Colorless (slightly gray) nonlead glass. Blown, enameled, gilt.
Dimensions
H. 19.8 cm
Classification
Glass
Culture
Italian (Venice)
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1170
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite armorial jug, crafted in Venice between 1513 and 1534, exemplifies the Renaissance pinnacle of Italian glassmaking. Standing at 19.8 cm tall, it hails from a city renowned as Europe's glassblowing capital, where artisans on the island of Murano produced luxurious vessels for elite patrons across the continent. The jug's colorless yet slightly gray nonlead glass—likely soda-lime based—reflects Venice's innovative recipes, which avoided lead to achieve clarity and durability without the fragility of crystal. Masterfully blown into shape, the jug was then enameled with vibrant col...