Mid- 1540s

Lid and Bowl from a Childbirth Set

Francesco Durantino

Italian (active Urbino and elsewhere), documented 1543 - 1575

In Renaissance Italy, maiolica birth sets were presented as gifts to women upon the birth of a child and typically feature subjects appropriate for the occasion. These two pieces are among the very finest of this ceramic type as their decorations are especially detailed and well painted. Although surely idealized, the intimate scenes convey a wonderful impression of the Renaissance domestic interior. The lid fits snugly on top of the bowl, which was for broth intended to sustain the mother following childbirth, and likely would have been accompanied by other pieces as part of an elaborate multipart set.