44.

Museo Archeologico e della Ceramica di Montelupo
(da scavo “pozzo dei lavatoi”)

Flat dish with disc foot base and separate rim. Reconstructed from fragments and integrated in form and shape. Overall glazing, extending to the back.

This small plate can be considered an example of blue “graffito” decoration with the essential features of higher quality “vantaggino” products from the beginning of the 16th century.

On the dish one can note that the bordering frame has been reduced to a minimum. The blue band is flanked only on the inside by an orange thread. This leaves ample room for the principal composition, a Medici coat-of-arms which is particularly elegant owing to the accurate manner in which the framing motifs have been painted. These motifs, for example the two elegant plant volutes that flank the shield and the overhanging curtain, suspended by a long ribbon, are typical of “grottesca” decorative patterns. A further “grottesca” element can be seen on the frame, where a sort of stylised plant composition, painted in large strokes, alternates with a romboid figure encircled at the apex and cut diagonally.

The plaque with the date “1514” embellishing the coat-of-arms refers to a highly prestigious occasion in the Medici history. The Medici who had recently returned to Florence and were at the height of their power (although strictly speaking the city was still ‘republican’), now witnessed the election to Pope of Lorenzo’s son, Giovanni. It is, therefore, probable that this maiolica was part of a “credenza” (group) made up of a large number of pieces to which, at least on the basis of findings from the “pozzo dei lavatoi”, many workshops contributed. No doubt the workshop of Lorenzo di Piero Sartori, to whom this dish has been attributed, also took part.

It is extremely interesting to note how the red of the stylised beads which characterise the Medici coat-of-arms were deliberately placed after a third firing of the maiolica. The fact that the pigment has in part come off, enables one to see, as on many other findings, the yellow colouring of the shield. For this reason the lead antinomy used on the piece illustrates that had already been fired before the vermilion ‘circles’ were painted.

It is unknown if this ‘re-firing’ of ceramic with red inserts was necessary because of the colour or if, instead, only when red was over-painted on the antinomy, thus, rendering the phenomenon of detachment more visible. There are also cases of over firing, which indicate that the first process was particularly delicate, for it had to ensure the thermal temperatures compatible to the fusion of the glazes. It is, however, evident that red coloured maiolica was fired in an oxidising environment which impeded the copper green pigment from taking on metallic tonalities.
 

Bibliografia

Berti 1998, p. 288 tav. 120.