Molded Ewer Basin with Judith Holding the Head of Holofernes

Gallery 354, European Art 1500-1850, third floor (Rubenstein Gallery)

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Molded Ewer Basin with Judith Holding the Head of Holofernes

c. 1530-1540

Artist/maker unknown, Italian

An embossed metal basin probably inspired this design, of which only six examples are known, each with a different central image. In Florence and elsewhere, the biblical heroine Judith sometimes represented civic victory over a powerful foe; however, her depiction as a nude figure is unusual, as is the superior quality of the painting.

Gallery 354, European Art 1500-1850, third floor (Rubenstein Gallery)

Object Details

Title:

Molded Ewer Basin with Judith Holding the Head of Holofernes

Date:

c. 1530-1540

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Italian

Medium:

Tin-glazed and lustered earthenware (maiolica)

Dimensions:

1 5/16 x 15 3/8 inches (3.3 x 39.1 cm)

Classification:

Containers

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Elizabeth Wandell Smith Fund, 1943

Accession Number:

1943-1-1

Geography:

Made in Deruta, Italy, Europe

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Gallery 354, European Art 1500-1850, third floor (Rubenstein Gallery)

Main Building

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