Cup and saucer - inv. 1165

The material known as lattimo or milk glass (white opaque glass) was being produced as early as the mid-fifteenth century and was immediately very popular, in part because it enabled glassmakers to imitate the Chinese porcelain objects which had recently begun to be imported. It was even sometimes described as “counterfeit porcelain”. The cup, without a handle, and its saucer have very simple forms. Also typical of porcelain are the polychrome enamel decorations, with floral motifs and coats of arms. The presence of two different coats of arms (one identified with the della Scala family of Verona) suggest a wedding gift.