This basin, crafted in Portuguese silver during the late 16th century, features a later central medallion bearing the Holy Spirit.

The piece boasts a raised and fluted rim, and its border exhibits a combination of geometric (ferroneries reminiscent of Mannerist ironwork) and phytomorphic motifs, resulting in an intricate decoration.

The mostly smooth centre of the basin has a chisel-decorated band around the central medallion, echoing the decorative pattern of the border. The finely carved decoration likely draws inspiration from contemporary printed sources. The raised central medallion, surrounded by a geometric incised decoration, prominently features the later chiselled and repoussé image of the Holy Spirit.

Smooth basins revealing engraved or incised rims, often incorporating central medallions, constitute the most common models of national production from the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 16th century, noteworthy basins of significant size, including the one under examination, emerged, along with a noticeable uptick in the use of phytomorphic decoration in Portuguese production. The scarcity of surviving examples emphasizes the significance of the remaining pieces.

The earliest mention of Portuguese silver marking was documented in December 1401, in a statute issued in the city of Oporto (António Cruz 1984-1986). Nevertheless, between the last quarter of the 16th century and the third quarter of the 17th century, during the period of Dynastic Union between the Portuguese and Spanish Crowns (1580-1640) and the ensuing Independence Wars, there were no official hallmarks.[1] It was only in 1668, in the reign of King Pedro II, that silver and gold hallmarking returned, with the publication of the regulations that delivered the re-establishing of the various municipal stamps.

Being a work with characteristics from the second half of the 16th century, the fact that it is not marked could be an indication that it was executed in the last quarter of this century.

The basin has, however, the Lisbon mark of «gold or silver (used)» artefacts, regularly known «cabeça de velho» (old man's head), used between 1938 and 1985, with the aim of guaranteeing the kind and fineness of the precious metal.

Marta Silva Pereira