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Source Description
Family workshops were very common among goldsmiths, which can sometimes make attribution difficult. One of the most celebrated fourteenth-century goldsmiths, Tondino (active 1308-ca. 1338) was the son of a goldsmith, named Gerrino. Tondino's brother and son, both named Giacomo, were also in the profession. This chalice with the busts of the apostles was likely produced in that workshop, signed by Giacomo of Siena who might be either the son or the grandson of the elder Guerrino. The extent of the collaboration between this Giacomo and Paolo di Giovanni, whose name also appears on the chalice, is uncertain. Paolo could have been a permanent member of the workshop or an associate engaged only occasionally for specific commissions. The chalice is enhanced by the addition of basse-taille enamels, a technique developed in Italy during the late thirteenth century in which translucent enamels are applied to metal surfaces that have been chased and engraved in low relief, producing a brilliant, painterly effect. Siena was widely known as an important center for the production of basse-taille enamels.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
26370
label
Chalice
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
26370
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Chalice
description
Family workshops were very common among goldsmiths, which can sometimes make attribution difficult. One of the most celebrated fourteenth-century goldsmiths, Tondino (active 1308-ca. 1338) was the son of a goldsmith, named Gerrino. Tondino's brother and son, both named Giacomo, were also in the profession. This chalice with the busts of the apostles was likely produced in that workshop, signed by Giacomo of Siena who might be either the son or the grandson of the elder Guerrino. The extent of the collaboration between this Giacomo and Paolo di Giovanni, whose name also appears on the chalice, is uncertain. Paolo could have been a permanent member of the workshop or an associate engaged only occasionally for specific commissions. The chalice is enhanced by the addition of basse-taille enamels, a technique developed in Italy during the late thirteenth century in which translucent enamels are applied to metal surfaces that have been chased and engraved in low relief, producing a brilliant, painterly effect. Siena was widely known as an important center for the production of basse-taille enamels.
provenance
Raoul Heilbronner, Paris [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1913, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
14th century (Medieval)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Enamels
chalices
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
22.4
height
13.5
depth
13.5
dimensionsRaw
H: 8 13/16 x W: 5 5/16 x D: 5 5/16 in. (22.4 x 13.5 x 13.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Italian
style
Gothic
inscriptions
[Signature] around the stem: Paulo di Giovani e [and] Iacomo de Seni
med
silver, gilded copper, ""basse-taille"" enamel
creator_ids
3948
6845
collection_ids
MED
exhibition_ids
1957
2064
2339
2725
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
add63c12a7848c43
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
fdfd4c011d07c3b2
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
6d06c1c756efc0df
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no