A maiolica plate for Sir William Dethick
Niccolò Sisti, c1593-1603
This extremely rare plate is attributed to the Pisa workshop of Niccolò Sisti, a notable Italian maker of glassware and ceramics in the service of the Medici family, who ruled Tuscany at the time of its creation in the late 16th, early-17th century.
The plate is likely to have been a one-off commission, possibly ordered by William Dethick (whose family arms feature at its centre), but more likely a diplomatic gift from someone in the Medici court, perhaps even the Grand Duke of Tuscany himself. It features intricate hand-painted details including half-human creatures, sphinxes, snails and insects.
This beautiful piece joins the internationally renowned collection of maiolica (tin-glazed pottery on a white background) at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
More information
Title of artwork, date
A maiolica plate for Sir William Dethick, c1593-1603
Date supported
2021
Medium and material
Earthenware
Dimensions
46.5 x 46.5 cm
Total cost
67500
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