ca. 1570-80
Italy
Object qualities
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Objecttableware: Jug
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Type of arts & crafts
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MediumMaiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)
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SizeH. 15 3/16 in. (38.5 cm)
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Geography details
Italy -
Country today
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Dateca. 1570-80
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CultureItalian, Montelupo
Source of information
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Type of sourceDatabase “Metropolitan Museum of Art”
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Fund that the source refers toMetropolitan Museum of Art
Description
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This jug bears the coat of arms of the Pucci, a prominent Florentine family, which features the head of a Black man in profile, a reference to their original surname, Saracini (meaning “Saracens”). Similar images had frequently appeared in European heraldry since the thirteenth century. Rooted in the subjugation of Muslims and peoples of Arab and African descent, this imagery often signified triumph in the Crusades or involvement in the slave trade. Here, a white band tied around the man’s head is inscribed with three T’s, an acronym for the Pucci family motto: Tempore tempora tempera (Time alleviates all troubles).