Italy, Rome
Goldsmith: Pietro Paulo Pieri
1685 – 1718
Engraved and chiselled rolled silver
A commissioned imported work, this tray features the Salgado, Araújo, Câmara and Tavares coat of arms of D. João da Cruz, 22nd Bishop of Miranda (1750-1756). The piece illustrates the formal and decorative austerity that characterised Portuguese taste throughout the 17th and early 18th century.
It is part of an original set of five square trays, which are to be found today in three public museums: the Museu do Abade de Baçal, o Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and the Soares dos Reis National Museum.