Fragment of a Footed Bowl with Medici Family Arms

Unidentified (Murano, Venice, Italy), Fragment of a Footed Bowl with Medici Family Arms, ca. 1513-1534, mold-blown, gilded, and enameled glass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.305
Copied Unidentified (Murano, Venice, Italy), Fragment of a Footed Bowl with Medici Family Arms, ca. 1513-1534, mold-blown, gilded, and enameled glass, 4 3⁄8 × 11 1⁄2 in. (11.1 × 29.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.305
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Artwork Details

Title
Fragment of a Footed Bowl with Medici Family Arms
Artist
Unidentified (Murano, Venice, Italy)
Date
ca. 1513-1534
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 3⁄8 × 11 1⁄2 in. (11.1 × 29.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of John Gellatly
Mediums Description
mold-blown, gilded, and enameled glass
Classifications
Keywords
  • Emblem — coat of arms
Object Number
1929.8.305
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1929.8.305

Artwork Description

Painted designs like those on this bowl were a source of inspiration for Venetian revival glassmakers. The Medici coat of arms indicates that this Renaissance-made bowl was commissioned by one of Italy's most powerful families. American collectors like John Gellatly valued the workmanship and age of pieces like this. At the same time, such works inspired glassmakers on Murano to repeat and adapt these patterns.

Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, 2021.