ticketsMember | Make a donation

Jarro de Pico

Possibly by Hernando Solis
late 16th century
Not on view
A luxury utensil of near-mythic status, the jarro de pico was the quintessential domestic object of the so-called golden age of Hispanic silver. These ornately beaked ewers, intended for hand washing at the tables of the wealthy, typically meld elements of Renaissance style with the geometrically conceived forms of the Philip II and Philip III periods, or the last half of the sixteenth and early part of the seventeenth century. In the jarro de pico the austerity of the ewer’s turned body is offset by the powerfully modeled detail on the spout, which is often reminiscent of the grotesque designs popular in Renaissance Italy. The sculptural vigor of this ewer’s spout, in the form of a bearded man with a foliate crown and pointed animal’s ears, contrasts with the sleekly functional, almost ergonomic form of the flamboyant handle, which features a spiky curve at its base and an unusually prominent thumb scroll that extends its height. The purity of the body is accented only by gilded horizontal bands and moldings.

Inside the foot of this jarro de pico are a mark bearing the arms of the city of Valladolid and a partial mark that has been tentatively identified as that of the silversmith Hernando Solis.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Jarro de Pico
  • Maker: Possibly by Hernando Solis
  • Date: late 16th century
  • Culture: Spanish, Valladolid
  • Medium: Silver, parcel-gilt
  • Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): max ht. 7 5/8; ht. from upper edge of body: 6 5/16 x 8 3/8 x 4 3/16 in., 2.1lb. (19.4; 16 x 21.3 x 10.6 cm, 0.9474kg)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Silver
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Gifts, in memory of Olga Raggio, 2009
  • Object Number: 2009.227
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Apostle or Saint, Alonso Berruguete Spanish, Polychrome and gilt walnut, Spanish, Valladolid
Apostle or Saint
Alonso Berruguete
ca. 1520s
Ewer from Burghley House, Lincolnshire, Hard-paste porcelain, gilded silver, British, London mounts and Chinese porcelain
Ewer from Burghley House, Lincolnshire
British, London mounts and Chinese porcelain
Chinese porcelain 1573– ca. 1585, British mounts ca. 1585
The Holy Family with Saints Anne and Joachim, Diego de Pesquera Spanish, Wood, painted and gilt, Spanish, Granada
The Holy Family with Saints Anne and Joachim
Diego de Pesquera
1567–68
Bottle (Refredador), Tin-glazed and luster-painted earthenware, Spanish, Valencia
Bottle (Refredador)
Spanish, Valencia
first half 16th century
Saint Agnes (one of a pair), Diego de Tiedra Spanish, Alabaster, painted and gilt, Spanish, possibly Aragon
Saint Agnes (one of a pair)
Diego de Tiedra
mid-16th century

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.