Covered Tazza (Footed Bowl) with an Allegory of Fortune

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Covered Tazza (Footed Bowl) with an Allegory of Fortune

Artist Léonard Limosin (French (Limoges), ca. 1506-1575/1577)

Place of OriginLimoges, France

Dateabout 1536-1548

DimensionsH: 3 7/16 in. (8.7 cm), diam: 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm);
cover diam: 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm)

Mediumpainted enamel on copper

ClassificationMetalwork

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott

Object number

1980.1018A-B

Not on View

Label TextThe interior of this remarkable tazza shows the figure of Fortune balanced precariously on a globe and holding a sail (symbols of the unpredictable changes of fortune) as she is led across the sea on seahorses guided by Cupid. The inscription, in the dialect of the Limousin region of France, can be translated, “Reason overcomes Fortune’s changes.” Léonard Limosin, the most famous Limoges enamellist of his day, prominently placed his initials on the sail, suggesting the cup’s importance. The cover (initialed 11 more times!) features three medallions with profile busts of Hercules, his wife Deianira, the Emperor Nero, and Helen of Troy.Published ReferencesToledo Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art Masterworks, Toledo, 2009, p. 143, repr. (col.) (2 views).