Plate with arms of the Tosinghi family 1495 - 1515

Editor: We’re looking at a ceramic plate, made sometime between 1495 and 1515, titled "Plate with arms of the Tosinghi family." It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m really drawn to how much is packed onto this surface. What can you tell me about the symbols at play? Curator: This plate speaks volumes through its iconography. The central coat of arms, of course, proclaims the Tosinghi family's identity, but let’s consider how carefully rendered the symbols are, the lion specifically. Editor: I noticed the lion, it looks almost caged or on display rather than freely roaring. Curator: Precisely! Ask yourself what the repetition of profiles evokes to you in juxtaposition of animals, figures, and vegetal elements in between them? The animals could relate to the cultural ideas of medieval bestiaries? And, consider the framing devices. Each portrait is distinct and presented, perhaps, with individual stories. Do these choices affect how we view the family’s narrative? Editor: So, each choice, even something as simple as where to place a bird, carries meaning, a reflection of cultural beliefs at the time? Curator: Absolutely. Renaissance art was very rarely 'just' decorative; it's layered with meaning intended to resonate with contemporary audiences. Understanding these layers opens a window into their world and cultural memory. Editor: That makes the plate more than just a pretty object. It's a snapshot of their identity, their values, their world. I'll never look at decorative art the same way again.