The Fashion of Zoomorphic Tableware at the Court of Francesco Maria II Della Rovere in Urbino (1549-1631)

This study explores the role of zoomorphic tableware at the court of Francesco Maria II Della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, highlighting its cultural significance beyond mere decoration. These animal-shaped objects reflected the Duke’s intellectual pursuits, status, and fascination with nature, creating a visual language of power and refinement. As part of the Immaginare i Saperi project, supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture and Sapienza University of Rome, this research investigates the connections between iconographic sources and the artistic production of the Duchy, focusing on decorative arts and material culture. Renaissance banquet culture transformed tableware into a symbol of prestige, with zoomorphic vessels in maiolica, silver, and bronze appearing in elite courts. The Della Rovere inventories document a strong presence of animal motifs, particularly turtles, birds, and marine creatures, often associated with the Duke’s personal symbolism and the artistic legacy of workshops like the Fontana and Patanazzi families. Through artistic analysis and archival research, this paper sheds new light on how artisans crafted these objects, their intended functions, and how their iconography differed from other European courts. It also explores the impact of the Duke’s collecting habits, his extensive library, and his influence on the artistic landscape of Urbino, where nature, science, and artistic imagination merged in the creation of some of the most fascinating ceremonial tableware of the Renaissance.