tankard
Object NameTankard
Made FromGlass, Silver
Dateprobably 1525-1575
Place Madepossibly Italy, Venice; possibly Low Countries
TechniqueBlown, applied, filigrana (vetro a fili, vetro a retorti); silver-gilt mounts, facon de Venise
SizeOverall H: 12.4 cm, Diam (max): 9 cm; Foot Diam: 7.2 cm; Rim Diam: 5.2 cm
Accession Number65.3.38
Curatorial Area(s)
Exhibitions
Beyond Venice: Glass in Venetian Style, 1500-1750
The Yearning for Venetian Glass: Beauty that Traversed Oceans and Time
On ViewEuropean Gallery
Physical DescriptionTankard. Colorless, with grayish tinge; opaque white seeds, bubbles. Vetro a fili, vetro a retorti; applied. Silver mounts, raised, chased, engraved, cast, gilded. Globular body with cylindrical neck with fire-polished rim and integral foot with base that has slight kick and pontil mark. Colorless ear shaped handle applied to shoulder and rim; bottom end is decorated with raspberry prunt.Decorated with vertical opaque white canes a fili alternating with twisted cables of six opaque white canes a retorti. Flanged metal foot is secured by half round lappets, silver-gilded on upper surface. Rim is mounted with plain, gilded bronze or brass collar with trefoil indentations at bottom; collar is attached to mount on handle, which is engraved with floral spray on hatched ground. Cover is hinged, with cast, scrolling thumbpiece; it is decorated with central circular panel enclosing engraved head of woman within chased border of floral scrolls interrupted by three harp shaped cartouches. Not all threads reach apex of kick, which shows scar from trimming with straight shears. White canes are bright and even, with few impurities.
Surface of glass shows some black and red residues, possibly from tooling with metal jacks. Mounts are incongruous: indentations of foot do not match those of rim, and cover shows techniques different from those of foot, rim, and handle mounts. Rim and handle mounts are probably original; cover is later replacement, and foot mount may also have been added later.
Provenance
Source
Cecil Davis
- 1965
Former Collection
B. P. Allinson
