Wine cooler with A Marine Triumph of Bacchus
ca. 1550–70
Medium
Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)
Dimensions
Overall: 9 × 19 5/8 in. (22.9 × 49.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
Italian, Urbino
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
Accession Number
32.100.368
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite maiolica wine cooler, crafted in the workshop of Guido Dur around 1550–70 in Urbino, Italy, exemplifies the Renaissance mastery of tin-glazed earthen. Maiolica, with its opaque white tin glaze, allowed artists to paint vibrant, detailed scenes in rich blues, yellows, and greens, transforming everyday vessels into luxurious artworks. Urbino workshops like Durantino's were renowned for *istoriato* maiolica—narrative "painted histories" inspired by classical mythology—producing elite tableware for grand banquets. The cooler depicts a lively "Marine Triumph of Bacchus," the Roman g...