16th Century Italian Antique Maiolica Tazza — Bella Donna Portrait, Attributed to Deruta, circa 1510–1550

A finely potted and boldly painted Italian maiolica tazza from the renowned workshops of Deruta, dating to the early–mid 16th century.

This tin‑glazed earthenware shallow-footed dish, decorated to the obverse with a central roundel enclosing a beautifully rendered female portrait bust in profile — the classic *bella donna* type — a celebrated Renaissance motif symbolising idealised beauty, virtue, and courtly refinement. The subject, wearing a blue-striped cap, pearl drop earring, and latticed bodice, flanked by the painted initials **B** and **T**. The roundel is set within a radiating eight-pointed star in giallolino yellow, the surrounding field painted in cobalt blue, copper green and orange-ochre with bold acanthus scrolls and stylised oak foliage, the scalloped rim banded in blue. The reverse glazed in white with a scrollwork border and a painted blue interlaced monogram mark to the centre well, the whole raised on a characteristic low foot.

This tin‑glazed earthenware, Central Italian, High Renaissance, shallow-footed dish presents a beautifully rendered “Bella Donna” portrait, a celebrated Renaissance motif symbolising idealised beauty, virtue, and courtly refinement.

The painterly execution is confident and expressive, framed by scrolling foliate ornament in a palette characteristic of Deruta’s High Renaissance production: warm ochres, manganese outlines, and soft blue washes over a tin‑glazed ground. The form is elegant, the foot well proportioned, and the glaze retains a pleasing early surface with expected craquelure.

Portrait tazze (the plural) of this type were often created as marriage gifts, tokens of esteem, or decorative objects for studioli and refined domestic interiors. Surviving examples of this quality are increasingly scarce, with close parallels held in the collections of the V&A, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A striking and evocative object from the golden age of Italian maiolica — rich in presence, history, and Renaissance charm.

Provenance: The decoration and palette all point to Deruta, Umbria, Central Italy. 16th Century, circa 1510–1550. The reverse monogram, a bold interlaced cypher with crossbar flourish painted in cobalt, is consistent with Deruta workshop or painter's marks of the period. However, individual attribution to a named hand remains the subject of ongoing scholarly enquiry in this field.

Material: Tin-glazed earthenware.

Condition: Wear consistent with age. Expected glaze craquelure, minor surface marks, and small frits to the rim are typical of early maiolica. No modern restoration has been detected under UV.

Dimensions: 

Diameter: 23.5 cm (9.25 in)

Height: 7 cm (2.76 in)