Antique Lidded Urn Decorated with a Motif of Diamond Rings and Lions, from Vases after the Antique

Art Historical Context

This striking engraving by Enea Vico captures the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity through its detailed rendering of an ornate lidded urn. Created in 1543 or shortly thereafter as part of the series *Vases after the Antique*, the print showcases a vessel adorned with diamond-ring motifs, lions, and garlands—symbols evoking strength, eternity, and festivity drawn from ancient Roman decorative traditions. Measuring just under 11 by 8 inches, the work exemplifies Vico’s precise linework and his role in translating three-dimensional artifacts into accessible two-dimensional designs. As an engraving on laid paper issued in the first or second edition, this piece belongs to the broader category of ornament and architecture prints that flourished in 16th-century Italy. Such works allowed artists, craftsmen, and collectors to study and adapt ancient forms for contemporary decorative arts, from metalwork to architecture. Vico, active in Venice and Rome, helped popularize these motifs across Europe, bridging archaeological study with inventive design. Today in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection, the print offers a window into how Renaissance artists reimagined the past, transforming timeless symbols like the lion into enduring emblems of artistic heritage.

About the Artist

Enea Vico · 1523–1567

Enea Vico (1523–1567) was born in Parma and came of age during the final, energetic decades of Italian Renaissance printmaking. By 1541 he had made his way to Rome, where he entered the orbit of the engraver and publisher Tommaso Barlacchi and began his professional career. In Rome, Vico encountered the work of the most celebrated printmakers of the preceding generation—Marcantonio Raimondi, Agost...