Footed bowl

Italy (Venice)

c. 1500

Glass, enamel, gold pigment

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Footed bowls (tazze) made in silver, glass or ceramics were prestigious objects on the Renaissance dining table. Elegantly decorated examples such as the present tazza may also have been displayed separately on a credenza in order to showcase the host’s status and wealth. The present dish is notable for its harmonious proportions and for the well-thought-out way in which the structural, blown shapes and the enamel-painted and gilt decoration are coordinated. Framed by a series of circular elements at the rim, a blast of forty radial ribs leads to the abstract fantasy blossom at the center. The flower is rendered in the dotted style,