Covered bowl
Unknown Artist
late 16th century
Medium
Colorless (gray) nonlead glass. Blown, modeled, diamond-point (scratch) engraved.
Dimensions
H. with cover 11.2 cm; diam. of cover 20.3 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
1975.1.1214a,b
Art Historical Context
This elegant covered bowl, crafted in late 16th-century Venice, exemplifies the pinnacle of Renaissance glassmaking from the island of Murano. Made of colorless (gray) nonlead glass—known as *cristallo* for its remarkable clarity and purity—the vessel was meticulously blown into shape, then modeled for precision, and adorned with intricate diamond-point engravings. Standing 11.2 cm high with a 20.3 cm diameter cover, it served as luxurious tableware, showcasing the technical virtuosity that made Venetian glass a coveted export across Europe. Venice's glass industry flourished in the 16th cent...