Italian, Venice
Plate with swan (Tazza), about 1525
Glass with enamel and gilding, 5.2 x 24 cm (2 1/16 x 9 7/16 in.)
Made of clear, lightly textured glass, this shallow convex plate sits on a low circular base edged with a thin gilded line. Near the edge of the plate is a narrow band. The plate consists of 4 rows of enameled concentric rings of white and brown tiny dots interspersed with gilded dots and accented by larger gilded dabs at the top. The plate’s central decoration is a threatening-looking white enamel bird with open beak and outstretched wings in a relatively small, center circle outlined by a dark red outer and white inner ring. The bird is over a stretch of green on the bottom of the circle. Above the bird, the clear sky is filled with short, gold lines emanating from a sun at the top.
Titian Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.