Object description
Dating to the late 16th or early 17th century, this jug was created in Italy during the late Renaissance period.
The jug was purely decorative and did not have any practical function. The hollow body is made of blown glass. The other components of the jug, including the foot, stem and handle are made from gilt base metal.
The earliest record of such a vessel being produced comes from a drawing dating to 1604. It is thought that such distinctive vessels would only have been produced over a limited period of time.
Late Renaissance jug/Glass, Metal (gilded)/16th or 17th century AD/The Hunt Collection/PD
Renaissance glass
The Renaissance was an age of rebirth for the arts, spanning from the 14th to 17th century. The craft of glassmaking was no exception.
Probably the most famous type of glass is Murano, named after the island in Venice where it is produced. However, the origins of glass making lie further east, in places such as Syria and Egypt. Evidence of glass production dating back as far as the 10th century BC has been discovered in these places.
Production of Murano glass really began to gain momentum in the 15th century with the invention of clear glass. These works were sought after by wealthy families, doges and even the Pope.
Several new techniques and creations were invented or reborn here, including free hand, iced glass and filigree. In the 16th century, the focus was on more decorative vessels such as the green jug depicted here.
Late Renaissance jug/Glass, Metal (gilded)/16th or 17th century AD/The Hunt Collection/PD
Sources
Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. https://museovetro.visitmuve.it/en/il-museo/layout-and-collections/glass-14th-17th-century/
The Hunt Museum Essential Guide. Scala Publishers. 2002.
