A pair of monumental vases with scenes from "Jerusalem Delivered"
Papi workshop Italian
probably Pietro Papi Italian
Not on view
Torquato Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered, a complex tale of crusaders in Jerusalem first published in 1581, was an endless source of artistic inspiration for Italian maiolica producers, including this pair of monumental vases by the Papi workshop, based in Urbania, a town in the Marche region of Italy. The most distinctive aspect of these vases is the combination of polychrome and monochrome blue palettes in the depiction of scenes from the epic poem. By 1670, maiolica makers of exuberant, eye-catching forms such as this pair vied with the strong European demand for Chinese blue and white porcelain.
