Italian ceramics from the British Museum

I went back to the British Museum just a few days before it closed due to the epidemics.

It was not as busy as it used to be before the virus changed the limits of personal space. This was not unpleasant, though.

I could take it slowly and enjoy my favorite pieces of Italian pottery, time-traveling back to the Renaissance.

The collection of Italian ceramics hosted by the British Museum is of the utmost importance: most of the pieces date back to the golden age of Italian majolica, the 16th and 17th century, and they come from different regions, offering a rare perspective on the differences in pictorial styles, shapes, and glazes.

I did not take pictures, but I’m copying below a blog post from 2015, with some highlights from the collection.


…. November 2015

A few pictures from my last visit to the British Museum, where a significant collection of Italian ceramics is hosted.

The display is quite unattractive and, in my opinion, not very well organized, but the quality of the pieces is really good and definitely worth a visit.

I took some pictures with my phone – not good quality, but enough to whet your appetite.

Two plates or bowls made in Deruta by Nicola di Pietro Francioli in 1515-1530 2015-10-28 16.19.11-1

A set of handmade tiles from made in Siena. They come from Palazzo Marsili and were probably made in the early 17th century.

A large bowl, wine cooler from Urbino made in the workshop of Francesco Patanazzi in 1608.

2015-10-28 16.20.46-1

A large wall plate made in Siena around 1510.

2015-10-28 16.21.48-1

A graffito wall plate from the area of Ferrara or Mantova.

2015-10-28 16.22.32-1

2015-10-28 16.18.35-1

One thought on “Italian ceramics from the British Museum

  1. Hi I have a ceramic Italian BRIGHELLA statue from the COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE IMASKED FIGURINE signed SR in arch of ivy logo. Is this capidomonte? It is about 8”. Thank you for any info in advance!

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