Renaissance Majolica Bird Ceramic Coaster Set

This ceramic coaster set interprets the maiolica istoriata and raffaellesche traditions of central Italian Renaissance workshops, specifically the aviary iconography documented in 16th-century pattern books from Faenza, Urbino, Casteldurante (modern-day Urbania), Montelupo Fiorentino, and Deruta. Each coaster reproduces a distinct compositional type from the period 1480-1580, when Italian majolica transcended utilitarian pottery to become piccola pittura (small painting)—a collector's art form patronized by ducal courts, wealthy merchants, and ecclesiastical institutions requiring decorative tiles for palace studioli, pharmacy interiors, and monastic apothecaries.