Dish 1650 - 1750

This earthenware dish was created in sixteenth-century France by Bernard Palissy. Palissy, a self-taught potter, was deeply influenced by the Renaissance’s fascination with the natural world, but also, by the religious reformations of the time. Notice the faces set among the foliage that trim the perimeter of the dish: one laughing, the other serene. The expressions and the foliage may be representative of Palissy’s struggle to reconcile faith and science during a period of immense religious and intellectual upheaval. As a Huguenot, Palissy faced religious persecution. His commitment to his beliefs and craft resulted in imprisonment near the end of his life. Palissy’s work reflects the complex tensions of his time. The naturalism of the Renaissance and the strictures of religious reform are molded together in this singular piece. The dish serves as a reminder of the personal costs often exacted by innovation and belief.