A design for a salver

A photograph of a pen and ink design for a salver now in the British Museum (inv. no. 1860,0616.83), where it is now attributed to Baldassarre Peruzzi, following the earlier traditional attribution to Raphael.

This drawing was first published as Peruzzi by Philip Pouncey in 1949. As underlined by Pouncey and Gere (see Bibliographic References), the meticulous style of the drawing is explained by its function as a design which could be followed by a goldsmith, while the Raphaelesque manner adopted here by Peruzzi is compatible with his drawings from the end of the second decade of the sixteenth century.

The scenes round the edge are from the Old Testament story of Joseph and they represent: Joseph's brothers kneeling before him; the discovery of the money in the sack; Benjamin brought before Joseph; Joseph and his brothers feasting; the finding of the cup in Benjamin's sack; Joseph embracing Benjamin. The central roundel shows the destruction of Pharaoh's host in the Red Sea.