A magnificent late Gothic parcel gilt silver tazza with the coat-of-arms of the Counts of Collalto
Footed dish on a narrow and finely fluted basal ring. Decorated with fish bladder tracery and stylised stamped dotted flowers in the spandrels below the rim. The inner rim with dotted beading. The centre of the well with embossed tracery facing the opposite direction with alternating faceted and foliate relief decoration. Applied in the centre with the coat-of-arms in a polychrome enamel rosette. The central motif surrounded by an embossed band of laurel foliage. Unmarked. H 5.4, D 22.7, weight 404 g.
Venice, first half 16th century.
So-called omphalos bowls, bowls with a raised node or “navel” in the centre, have been produced since Greek antiquity. In this example, the omphalos motif is framed by swirling "fish bladder" tracery. This ornament probably originally came to Europe from India or Persia, where it can be found in Celtic art as early as the La Tène period. In the Middle Ages it was disseminated throughout Central Europe in book illustrations and was often used in the window tracery of late Gothic churches. This form of squat stem bowl also has ancient origins. The name "tazza" refers to its use as a drinking vessel – the word is actually of Arabic origin, but it was eventually transformed into the German word for cup, “Tasse”.
For centuries, Venice was one of the main centres in which the cultural influences of Europe and Asia would blend. Venice thrived on trade, but also on its fabulous artistic production, which in turn owed much of its richness to the city's wealth and diverse inspirations. This type of bowl in a late Gothic style came into fashion in Venice in the 15th century. The first models were presumably produced in parcel gilt silver, but after around 1500, they were also made from embossed and enamelled copper. Various forms of enamelled decoration were used, in both vitreous and painted techniques.
A less precious variation of the design without the base was produced at around the same time north of the Alps. These dishes, known as “Beckenschlägerschüssel” (basin beater bowls), were made from brass, an alloy with a high copper content.
The Collalto family were free counts in the Treviso Marches in Veneto and are documented as such as early as the 9th century. Emperor Frederick I of the Hohenstaufen dynasty granted Schinella I, Count of Treviso, and his brothers the county of Trevigio with special rights in 1155. Rambaldus VIII, Count of Collalto and Treviso, received the Marquisate of Ancona in 1304 and became Patrician of Venice two years later. He was the first count to name himself after the ancestral seat of the Collalto family.
Literature
Cf. the small gadrooned dish with a hunting motif attributed to Venice, 1480 – 90 in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, on loan from the Rosalind and Arthur Gilbert Collection (acc. no. LOAN:GILBERT.544-2008). Cf. ibid. a further dish, also attributed to Venice 1480 – 90, under acc. no. 274-1881. Cf. ibid., a copper dish with polychrome enamel attributed to Venice, 1500 – 1550 under acc. no. C.2378-1910. Cf. Also the enamelled dishes in the Louvre, Département des Objets d´art du Moyen Age, inv. no. R 245, R 246, R 248, R 249, R 253, R 255, R 256, R 257 and OA 1002.