Probably Venice, Italy
Around 1530–50
Cast brass, chased, inlaid with silver, and engraved
45.9 cm
This dish was made for one of Venice’s leading families, in the style of inlaid metalwork imported from Mamluk Egypt and Syria. The design combines both Islamic and European decoration. Lions’ heads, masks and strange creatures called ‘grotesques’ were favoured by Italian artists. These are set against a background of dense foliage and delicate arabesques — motifs derived from Islamic ornament.