Terms and conditions of use
Footed bowl
(early 16th century)
Medium
glass (applied decoration), gilt
Measurements
15.4 × 26.3 cm diameter
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1871
Gallery location
16th & 17th Century Gallery - Painting and Sculpture
Mezzanine linked to Level 1, NGV International
About this work
This early sixteenth-century footed bowl imitates contemporary metalwork forms in silver and pewter and would likely have been used for the serving of fruit, as depicted in paintings of the period. The bowl and the foot were initially formed in a mould to produce the ribbed effect, then blown and worked with jacks (metal blades with sprung handles) to create their final forms. The bowl’s ribs were slightly twisted in the blowing process to produce the angled effect. The brilliant sapphire-blue glass is a feature of sixteenth-century Venetian works and was often trailed decoratively to offset the clear cristallo body.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Venice, Italy
Accession Number
27-D1R
Department
International Decorative Arts
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited