Getty Museum

Plate with a Winged Putto on a Hobbyhorse

Date

about 1510–1520

Medium

Tin-glazed earthenware

Culture

Italian

Department

Decorative Arts

Institution

Getty Museum

A playful cupid romps in the center of this dish, while the busts of a bearded man in a turban-like hat and a bald man in classical dress gaze solemnly from the two medallions on the rim. These figures may be generalized Near Eastern types or possibly portraits of specific individuals such as the turbaned Mohammed II, sultan of the Ottoman Turks, and the bald John VIII Paleologus, the Byzantine emperor. The colors on this dish are exceptionally vibrant and jewel-like. The artist achieved this effect by applying a final transparent glaze to the piece, which enhances the brilliance of the colors and the sheen of the surface.

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