Late gothic tazza with imperial eagle. Silver,... Lot 12

Late gothic tazza with imperial eagle. Silver, partly with remnants of gilding. Foot bowl on a narrow, finely fluted stand ring. Around the rim deepened fish bubble decoration, in the spandrels under the rim stylized blossoms of six dot-shaped hallmarks. Around the inner rim a punched pearl necklace. Domed, counter-rotating navel, the fish bubbles alternately faceted and modelled with vegetal relief. A double-headed eagle in relief in the centre. The navel framed by a laurel wreath in relief. Unmarked. H 6, D 23,3, weight 383 g. Venice, end of the 15th / beginning of the 16th century. So-called omphalos bowls, i.e. bowls with a raised navel in the centre, have been produced since Greek antiquity. Here the omphalos is framed by swirled "fish bubbles". This ornament probably came to Europe originally from India or Persia, where it is found in Celtic art as early as the La Tène period. In the Middle Ages it became known in Central Europe through book illumination and was often used in the tracery of late Gothic church windows. The foot bowl also originates from antiquity. Its designation "tazza" refers to its use as a drinking vessel - actually of Arabic origin, it eventually led to the invention of the word for the German cup. For centuries, Venice was one of the places where cultural influences from many European and Asian countries came together. The city thrived on trade, but also on its fabulous production of art, thanks to both its wealth and its many inspirations. The bowl type with its late Gothic style elements came into fashion in Venice in the 15th century. Initially probably produced in silver with partial gilding, after 1500 people moved on to hammering the bowls from copper and enameling them. Various enamelling techniques were used, both cellular enamel and painter's enamel. A less precious variant, but without a foot, was also produced at the same time north of the Alps, the so-called basin beater bowl made of brass, an alloyed metal with a high copper content. Literature Cf. the smaller godroned bowl with hunting motif, attributed to Venice 1480 - 1490, in the Victoria and Albert Museum London, on loan from the Rosalind and Arthur Gilbert Collection (Acc.No. LOAN:GILBERT.544-2008). Cf. ibid. another foot bowl, also attributed to Venice 1480 - 1490, Acc.No. 274-1881. Cf. ibid, the copper foot bowl painted with coloured enamel, attributed to Venice 1500 - 1550, Acc. No. C.2378-1910.