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Late 14th - first half of 15th century Northern Italy or Dubrovnik (?) Raised , chased, engraved and gilded silver The surface of this grand dish with a heraldic device is replete with chased decoration. The broad rim is embellished with sixteen arches linked by lion masks. Within the arches depictions of a flower alternate with scenes of animals fighting. A inset plate in the centre of the base bears a coat of arms in the form of a shield with a checkerboard pattern. Judging by the heraldic features, the owner of the dish may have been a member of the Genoese nobility. A coat of arms in the form of a red and white checkerboard is known to have been used by the Vento family of Genoa. The dish was found in 1895 in the northern Caucasus - in an Adyghian grave, which suggests that the urban markets were full of Latin items of daily use, possibly from some ownerless property. |
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