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Premium Rare openwork copper tray decorated with satyrs' heads amid …
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Rare openwork copper tray decorated with satyrs' heads amid …
See original version (French)
Lot no. 136
Description
Rare openwork copper tray decorated with satyrs' heads amid foliage. In the centre, laurel wreaths, garlands of fruit and the coat of arms of Doge Andrea Gritti (1455 - 1538).
Venice, circa 1500.
D. 61.5 cm Andrea Gritti was born in Bardolino near Verona in 1455. He was elected doge in 1523 until his death in 1538. Born into a family of wealthy merchants, he moved to Constantinople in 1476 to develop very prosperous commercial activities. He became the ambassador of the Republic of Venice to the Sublime Porte. After the discovery of messages informing Venice of Ottoman actions to prepare a war between the two nations, he was imprisoned and returned to Venice in 1503. He became a military leader and recaptured Padua, but was taken prisoner at Brescia in February 1512. He was sent by the French to Amboise and Blois, where he met Louis XII, Louise of Savoy and the future Francis I. He was elected doge in 1523. His governance was marked by a desire for cultural renewal and innovation, supporting artists in both painting and literature. He died in 1538 after a 15-year reign.
Venetian production in the decorative arts in the 16th century is well known. The reputation of Murano glass and enamelled pieces is fully justified. However, although copperware is part of the collections of the major museums, it is less well known. This very fine openwork tray, close to a work of goldsmith's art, can be compared with other pieces with similar decoration. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds two objects decorated with masks from which sinuous scrolls emerge: a brazier (inv n° 7786-1863) (fig a) and a brazier lid (inv n° 7845-1861) (fig b).
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