Candlestick (candeliere)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite candlestick, or *candeliere*, hails from the workshop of Durantino in Urbino, Italy, dated 1535. Crafted maiolica—tin-glazed earthenware petite piece stands just over 8 inches tall, blending everyday utility with Renaissance opulence. Urbino was a thriving center for maiolica production during the 16th century, where like Durantino's produced luxurious rivaling fine painting, often exported across EuropeThe gleaming tin glaze allowed brilliant colors and detailed scenes, typically painted in the *istoriato* style—narrative vignettes drawn from classical mythology. Here, motifs of Venus, Cupid, and male and female nudes evoke the era's fascination with antiquity, celebrating love, beauty, and the human form in a playful yet refined manner. Such objects graced Renaissance dining tables, elevating the mundane to the artistic. Now part of the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this candlestick exemplifies Italian ceramic mastery, bridging function and fantasy in the High Renaissance. Visitors will appreciate its vibrant allure, a testament to Urbino's golden age of pottery.