Style of
Bernard Palissy
French, about 1510–1590

The artist who made this basin achieved the amazingly lifelike quality of the various pond animals in a rather remarkable way. After collecting the specimens he wanted, he immersed the animals in a jar of vinegar or urine to suffocate them without marring them, then covered them with grease. Next he pressed them carefully into slightly damp plaster. The grease prevented the plaster from sticking to the animals, so that they could be removed, leaving behind a perfect two-part mold into which clay could be pressed.

Glazed earthenware, about 1575–1600
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin S. Kobacker, 1969.302