Shallow bowl with 'Tarsia Bella'

by-nc

Maker

Unknown maker, Castel Durante (Marche region, Italy), 16th century

Title

Shallow bowl with 'Tarsia Bella'

Date of Production

circa 1520-1530

Medium

tin-glazed earthenware

Dimensions

Diameter: 20.5 cm
Depth: 4.6 cm

Object Number

O.1966.GP.88

Mode of Acquisition

Gambier-Parry, bequest, 1966

Credit

Courtauld Gallery, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Label Text

Dishes with profiles of men and women wearing ancient Roman head coverings were probably made as gifts and might have hung in pairs.

Although not portraits of real people, they could bear the name of a beloved. The ‘Tarsia’ named here may refer to a heroine from classical literature or to a woman who lived locally. The letter ‘b’ stands for bella (‘beautiful’ in Italian).

Inscriptions

Label: 88

Inscription: TARS/IA.B[ELLA]

Provenance

Probably purchased by Thomas Gambier Parry between 1863 and 1875

Exhibition History

La Faience des Humanistes, Musée National de la Renaissance & Ecouen & France, 11/10/2011-27/02/2012
The Gambier-Parry Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1967

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