Plate (tagliere)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1530
Medium
Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)
Dimensions
Diameter: 17 5/16 in. (44 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
Italian, probably Deruta
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1031
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant maiolica plate, known as a *tagliere* or large serving trencher, hails from Italy around 1530, likely produced in the renowned ceramics center of Deruta in Umbria. Crafted from tin-glazed earthenware it exemplifies the Renaissance technique of maiolica, where a tinacified glaze created a brilliant white surface ideal for vivid polychrome decoration fired at low temperatures. Measuring over 17 inches in diameter such platters were both functional kitchenware and display pieces for affluent households, blending utility with artistic splendor. The central scene draws from the ancien...