Images(4)

Double-handled jar

Dateca. 1600 - 10

Label TextThis vividly-painted scene, based on Exodus 17 in the Old Testament, depicts Moses in the desert after God tells him to strike a rock, in response to the angry Israelites’ question: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt with our children and our herds to let us all die of thirst?” Water miraculously gushes from the rock, and the parched Israelites rush to fill their water jars. Maiolica held a significant place within the arts of Renaissance Italy. Collectors displayed it on sideboards and hung it on walls, wealthy citizens gave it as gifts, and it features as valuable items in inventories and legal documents.

Object number48.33

ProvenanceUrbino, Italy; by Alfonso Patanazzi; R. Stora puchased from Parke, Bernet Galleries in 1938, SAM purchased from R. Storia, New York, December, 1947.

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe, Feb. 17 - May 7, 2000.Published ReferencesHarding, Beverly. The Secret of Porcelain: A Family Guide. Seattle, Wash.: Seattle Art Museum, 2000; pp. 6, 23. Ishikawa, Chiyo. "Seattle Art Museum." In Italian Treasures in the U.S.: An Itinerary of Art. Edited by Renato Miracco. Rome: Gangemi Editore International Publishing, 2015; p. 200.

Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection

Dimensions24 1/2 x 17 1/2 in. (62.23 x 44.45 cm)

MediumMaiolica