Maiolica Styles in the Middle Ages and Renaissance: Stile Bello

Maiolica: Stile Bello

The stile bello is a pictorial style, often featuring flowers, fruit-baskets, scrolls, masks, grotesques, and/or heraldry. There are a few additional styles which are part of, or related to, the stile bello maiolica, which are set apart in the links below: maiolica alla porcellana, which imitates the decoration on Chinese porcelain; maiolica a trofei, which is decorated with military trophies; maiolica a candelieri, with a candelabra-like sense of symmetry; maiolica a raffaellesche, with many figures around the rim; and stile fiorito, the flowery style, with tiny grotesques and floral motifs.

Albarello (Met 1975.1.1027), Deruta, c. 1505-1510

Dish with David carrying the head of Goliath (Scotland A.510.4), Faenza (?), c. 1510-1540

Dish with the arms of a Medici pope (NGA 1942.9.319), Deruta, c. 1513-1534

Albarello (Met 23.166), Siena, 1515

Attributed to Maestro Giorgio Andreoli, Gubbio

Plates with the arms of the Vigeri family (Cleveland 1943.56 and Getty 84.DE.111), 1524
Bowl with the arms of the Saracinelli of Orvieto (NGA 1942.9.329), c. 1525-1528
Plate with the arms of the Rizzardi of Venice (Cleveland 1940.472), c. 1525-1530
Plate with a shield of arms and the initials A.F. (NGA 1942.9.335), 1526
Plate with the arms of the Vitelleschi family (Cleveland 1950.155), 1527

Tondino (Met 1975.1.1009), Faenza, c. 1530

Dish with a wreath and a shield of arms (NGA 1942.9.342), Faenza, 1532

Attributed to Francesco Xanto Avelli

Pilgrim bottle (Cleveland 1923.914), Faenza, 1540

Tile (V&A 441-1906), attributed to the workshop of Guido di Merlino, c. 1543

Dish with a checker pattern and floral sprays (Scotland A.231.3), Montelupo, second half of the 16th century

Armorial jug (Met 1975.1.1010), Montelupo, c. 1570-1580

ALLA PORCELLANA

A plate (Christie’s Lot 2, Sale 2690), Cafaggiolo or Montelupo, c. 1500-1510
Drug jar (Scotland A.1921.1691), Faenza (?), early 16th century
Blue and white dish with a merchant ship (Getty 84.DE.109), Cafaggiolo, c. 1510
Plate commemorating a marriage, with the arms of the Meuting and Hörwarth families (British Museum M&ME 1878,12-30,435), Venice, 1516
Bowl with the arms of Altoriti and Soderini (Scotland A.510.6), Faenza, 1524
Bowl with a trophy of armor (Scotland A.1899.129), Faenza, c. 1530-1535
Plate with putti supporting a coat of arms (Scotland A.1956.1481), Liguria or Venice, early 17th century
Plate with a coat of arms (Scotland A.1884.44.20), Deruta or Liguria, first half of the 17th century

A TROFEI

Plate with a putto mask and trophies (Cleveland 1923.1088), Castel-Durante, c. 1440-1460
Dish with a unicorn hunt (Scotland A.510.5), Deruta, c. 1500-1510
Plate with putti, trophies, and grotesques (NGA 1942.9.313), Urbino or Venice, c. 1510-1520
Dish with an archer (Scotland A.1882.8.8), Castel Durante or Urbino, c. 1540
Dish with cupid (Scotland A.1877.20.99), Castel Durante, c. 1540
Drug jar (Scotland A.1957.288), Castel Durante or Deruta, mid-16th century
Drug jar (Scotland A.1877.20.119), Castel Durante, 1550s

A CANDELIERI

Plate with the head of a young man (NGA 1942.9.343), Urbino, c. 1520-1530
A plate with a shield of arms (Scotland A.1876.31.1), Il Frate workshop, Deruta, c. 1535-1550
A piatto (Getty 84.DE.120), Venice, c. 1540-1560

A RAFFAELLESCHE

Plate with Narcissus gazing at his reflection (NGA 1942.9.315), c. 1510-1520

STILE FIORITO

Plate with a boar hunt (Cleveland 1942.623), Atelier of the Fontana family, Urbino, 1560
Pilgrim bottle (V&A 8409&A-1863), attributed to the Fontana workshop, Urbino, c. 1560-1580
Basin with Deucalion and Pyrrha (Getty 86.DE.539), Orazio Fontana or his workshop, Urbino, c. 1565-1571
Dish with Mercury (Scotland A.510.14), Urbino, c. 1590-1610
Dish with a warrior (Scotland A.1871.14.13), Deruta, c. 1620-1650