Tondino "a Berettino" - Faenza - 1540-1550

Round in shape, this elegant little dish, also called a tondino, is very representative of the typical decorations of Faenza and its local production in the 16th century. The composition is ordered and divided into several registers, where a repertoire of grotesque decorations is arranged. First of all on the wing of the dish, are represented cherubim, mascarons surmounted by streamers of flowers and leaves alternating with open books and fish. Then at the level of the umbilicus, a flower decorated with arabesques and the head of a winged putto. All this profusion of decor creates a perfect symmetry that stands out against a cobalt blue background, also called “a berettino” decor. From the 1520s, variations on the theme of grotesques and bluish glaze, known as “a berettino”, became the most popular decoration in Faenza. Faenza, located in the province of Ravenna in northeastern Italy, is a city of art particularly known, since the Renaissance, for its production of ceramic objects. With almost 270 workshops, the city was one of the most important production centers of the 16th century.