Display Plate with a Man Striking a Heart on an Anvil c. 1550

This 16th-century Italian maiolica display plate, created by the Societa anonima cooperativa per la fabbricazione delle maioliche in Deruta, features a central scene of a man striking a heart on an anvil, surrounded by a decorative border of stylized floral motifs and scales. The plate, now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, exemplifies the vibrant colors and intricate designs that were characteristic of Deruta pottery. The plate's imagery may allude to themes of love, pain, and the fragility of the human heart, highlighting the enduring popularity of such motifs in Renaissance art.