Devotional plaque with The Madonna and Child with Donors. Culture: Italian, perhaps Emilia-Romagna (possibly Faenza) or the Marche. Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 17 1/4 × 13 1/4 × 1 3/4 in. (43.8 × 33.7 × 4.4 cm). Date: ca. 1490-1500.Unlike many maiolica objects, this plaque has no function beyond displaying a painted image to the viewer. It retains the sense of domesticity associated with Renaissance maiolica vessels and tableware, but was made to encourage religious devotion. The small format and tightly cropped view of the Virgin and Child create an intimate relationship with the viewer, and the small kneeling donors at lower left present a model for worship in the home. The plaque imitates fifteenth-century panel painting and relief sculpture in both subject and form and even includes an integral frame. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.