This beautifully painted dish shows the close ties between painting and pottery in Umbria, central Italy. The image is based on a detail from a painting by Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino
Dish with one of the Magi (wise men or kings), Deruta, Italy, probably painted by Nicola Francioli (active 1513 –1565), Around 1520–40, Tin-glazed earthenware painted with lustre, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

Dish with one of the Magi

16th century, Italy (Deruta)

Lustred ceramics were a must-have design accessory of the elite Renaissance home. The technique of lustre originated in Iraq and Egypt and was brought to Spain by Arab potters in the 12th century. Spain produced and exported huge quantities of these coveted wares across Europe. Around 1500, Italy developed its own specialist centres in Deruta and Gubbio, two small towns in Umbria, in central Italy.

Lustre is formed when a fired, glazed ceramic is painted with metal oxide pigments and fired again, at low temperatures with restricted air supply. This process results in a metallic film that shimmers  in candlelight.

This beautifully painted dish shows the close ties between painting and pottery in Umbria, central Italy. The image is based on a detail from a painting by Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino, at the time the most influential artist in the region.

See this object in The Courtauld Gallery

Virtual tour

You might also like

screencap of virtual tour

Gallery Virtual Tours

Explore each floor of The Courtauld Gallery with our virtual tours. Zoom in to look closely at masterpieces from our remarkable collection, from individual brush strokes to the texture of the paint....

Read more

See more collection highlights

Explore The Courtauld’s remarkable collection of paintings, prints and drawings, sculpture and decorative arts.

Explore
Two men sit across from each other at a table covered with a brown tablecloth, playing cards. Both men wear overcoats and hats, and the man on the left smokes a pipe. They sit inside a wooden building. i Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) The Card Players, around 1892-96, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Citations