Pilgrim flask



Patanazzi workshop

Urbino XVI Century

Decorated majolica

Size: Height cm 40

REVIEW BY gherardo turchi

The central part of such a rare Italian glazed pottery flask is finely adorned with a biblical scene from the First Book of the Kings. Salomon is portrayed trying to settle a dispute between two women towards the same baby. Since each of them asked her motherhood to be officially recognised, he decided to divide the baby in two halves. The two women would then be given one each.

The natural mother asked therefore Salomon to assign the baby to the other woman to get his life saved. She’d be known as his real mother because of such a love act.

Salomon being about to kill the baby scene is then amazingly realised by the artist, as the austere gravitas giving off it can surely prove.

Patanazzi’s was one of the most thriving Urbino workshops throughout the sixteenth century. Several ancient books mentioned the family as some of its members, like the pottery worker Xanto Avelli, were very renowned artists at that time.

Such amazing artworks were realized at Patanazzi’s, just like the sixteenth century flask we’re analysing. The vivid colours, like blue and yellow, and the mythological or religious motifs most of their items are finely decorated with can surely prove that.

Like those today kept at the most important international museums, the pilgrim flask is also very similar to that one at the Bargello Museum in Florence because of the scene from Ovid’s Metamorphoses its front is enhanced by.

We can then appreciate its own glazed pottery cap, unlike most of the flasks we can admire today. That’s why the artwork we’ve just analysed is undoubtedly worth being enjoyed.   

error: Il contenuto è protetto Content is protected !!