Dish
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Tin-glazed and luster-painted earthenware
Dimensions
Diameter: 19 in. (48.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
Spanish, Valencia
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Accession Number
91.1.137
Art Historical Context
This stunning 16th-century dish from Valencia, Spain, exemplifies the golden age of Hispano-Moresque ceramics, a pinnacle of European decorative arts. Crafted as a large serving platter with a generous 19-inch (48.3 cm) diameter, it hails from a time when Valencia was Europe's leading center for tin-glazed earthenware, blending medieval Islamic techniques with Renaissance flair. Produced in workshops that thrived after the Reconquista, such pieces were prized for both practical use at lavish banquets and as symbols of wealth and sophistication. The dish's medium—tin-glazed and luster-painted ...