Although some may not consider lizards and slimy fish to be the subjects of fine art, French artist Bernard Palissy found their forms intriguing. He combined his interest in natural history with his artistic abilities to create his line of ceramic "rustic ware," which featured the types of creatures you see on this decorative dish. Dishes like this one made by Palissy and others after his death are called Palissy ware. 

To make this platter, the artist collected creatures including bugs, frogs, and fish, and made molds of them. A mold is a hollow container, like an ice cube tray, in which material is shaped. Here the artist put wet plaster over dead creatures to make a mold. When the plaster dried he removed the creature. Next he poured clay into the empty mold. When it hardened, he removed the shaped piece and used it to make this dish. Palissy used his molds again and again to create dishes like this one.

To make the creatures look slimy Palissy applied clear, shiny glazes on the surface of the dish. A glaze is a thin coating that can be clear or colored. If you were to make an artwork using images of animals, which ones would you include? Why?

You can see this dish in the European art galleries on the second level of the Ahmanson Building at LACMA.

Search Collections Online for other examples of Palissy ware.

School of Bernard Palissy, Large Oval Rustic Dish with Fish and Reptiles, 1528–1545, lead-glazed earthenware (Palissy ware), length: 20 ¼ in. (51.44 cm), 49.26.2, gift of the Hearst Foundation, photo © 2007 Museum Associates/LACMA.