Tazza with Emperor Tiberius figure and dish with scenes from the life of Nero
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.These tazze (45.60.58a-h; L.1999.62.1; L. 1999.62.2), originally from a set of twelve depicting the stories of Roman emperors, were likely made in Antwerp for a member of the Habsburg dynasty, who insisted on their right to rulership by claiming imperial Roman lineage. The shallow dishes would have been displayed together on a stepped buffet on special occasions. The works’ silver composition matches that mined by enslaved Indigenous workers in the South American colony of Potosí under the oppression of Habsburg-funded conquistadors, a context of production that is obscured by the tazze’s erudite decoration.
Artwork Details
- Title: Tazza with Emperor Tiberius figure and dish with scenes from the life of Nero
- Date: ca. 1587–99
- Culture: Flemish, Antwerp (?)
- Medium: Gilded silver
- Dimensions: H. about 16 in.; Diam. about 15 in.
- Classification: Metalwork-Silver
- Credit Line: Private collection
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts