16th century

Dish with a Profile Portrait of the Ancient Roman Orator Cicero

Artist/maker unknown

This dish was probably made in Nuremberg, Germany, where dish manufacturing was on such a large scale that a coalition of dish makers was organized to oversee quality. Nuremberg artists favored religious subject matter, but some pieces had purely ornamental decoration or, as in this case, a portrait of a historical figure from ancient Rome. Perhaps based on an ancient coin, this depiction of the philosopher, statesman, and orator Cicero shows the Renaissance taste for and interest in classical art from ancient Rome and Greece.

Although such brass dishes were well suited for display, they could also be used in conjunction with a pitcher or spouted bowl with a handle (called a laver or lavabo) for handwashing at mealtimes.