Tazza
- Gallery: Room 2a
- Maker: Salomon II Spitzmacher
- Made in: Augsburg
- Date: 1566-1611
- Object type: tazza
- Materials: silver
- Museum number: WB.98
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
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About this object
This is a "Tazza," a beautifully crafted silver-gilt vessel made in Augsburg, most likely by the skilled goldsmith Salomon II Spitzmacher. Created in the late 16th century, the tazza is a Renaissance example of fine metalwork, notable for its high-quality chasing, engraving, and embossing.
Intricate scenes of mythological figures fill the vessel’s shallow bowl. Venus stands gracefully with Cupid beside her, while Vulcan works the anvil, his tools and hammer at the ready. Behind him, a forge glows with activity—attendants use bellows and raise a sledgehammer. Cupid’s bow and arrow lie nearby, adding to the scene’s dynamic energy. This is enclosed by an elegant laurel wreath design.
The bowl is framed by a richly decorated foot, with cherub heads and fruit reliefs, and a uniquely shaped stem featuring stylized bird-forms and high-relief lion-masks. Marks on the base identify it as Augsburg-made and possibly by a master craftsman of the Spitzmacher family.
This tazza is an exceptional example of Renaissance artistry and historical storytelling in silver.
See it in person
Tazza is on display in Room 2a at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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