Maiolica: Stile Bello
Italian Renaissance Maiolica

Marvels of Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Gallery of Art Collection

Maiolica

Italian Maiolica (Fitzwilliam Museum Handbooks)

The stile bello is a pictorial style, often featuring flowers, fruit-baskets, scrolls, masks, grotesques, and/or heraldry. There are a few additional styles which are part of, or related to, the stile bello maiolica, which are set apart in the links below: maiolica alla porcellana, which imitates the decoration on Chinese porcelain; maiolica a trofei, which is decorated with military trophies; maiolica a candelieri, with a candelabra-like sense of symmetry; maiolica a raffaellesche, with many figures around the rim; and stile fiorito, the flowery style, with tiny grotesques and floral motifs.


  • Albarello (Met 1975.1.1027), Deruta, c. 1505-1510
  • Dish with David carrying the head of Goliath (Scotland A.510.4), Faenza (?), c. 1510-1540
  • Dish with the arms of a Medici pope (NGA 1942.9.319), Deruta, c. 1513-1534
  • Albarello (Met 23.166), Siena, 1515
  • Tondino (Met 1975.1.1009), Faenza, c. 1530
  • Dish with a wreath and a shield of arms (NGA 1942.9.342), Faenza, 1532
  • Pilgrim bottle (Cleveland 1923.914), Faenza, 1540
  • Tile (V&A 441-1906), attributed to the workshop of Guido di Merlino, c. 1543
  • Dish with a checker pattern and floral sprays (Scotland A.231.3), Montelupo, second half of the 16th century
  • Armorial jug (Met 1975.1.1010), Montelupo, c. 1570-1580
  • ALLA PORCELLANA

    A TROFEI

    A CANDELIERI

    A RAFFAELLESCHE

    STILE FIORITO