Spice plate
Not on view
During the Renaissance, Venetian glassmakers, working on the island of Murano, were celebrated across Europe for their fine and sparkling work. Called "cristallo" emulating the clarity of rock crystal, in the hands of the most skilled glassblowers the medium could be delightfully manipulated, variously stretched paper-thin flat, or playfully twisted, or blown into molds with spectacular patterns. The coat of arms at the center of the plate is that of Paolo Giordano I Orsini, Duke of Bracciano, and Isabella de'Medici, who were married in 1558.
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