Basin with the Barbo coat of arms

The basin's surface is stanniferous glazed and adorned with brown, blue, and yellow decorations. It features the coat of arms, bearing the heraldic insignia of Cardinal Marco Barbo (1420–1491), nephew of Pope Paul II. The emblem includes a silver lion with a gold band across it, topped by a cardinal’s hat and a patriarchal cross. 
In all likelihood, in 1467, the year Marco Barbo was appointed cardinal presbyter of San Marco, the basin was integrated into the external façade of the Torre del Belvedere within Palazzo Venezia, adjacent to the apse of the basilica of San Marco. This occurred during renovations initiated by the cardinal himself. Additional blue and green monochrome basins, which are still present, completed the decoration of the upper band of the tower’s entablature. 
In 1962, following damage caused by gunfire, the basin was relocated from its original site and incorporated into the historical-artistic collections of the Museo di Palazzo Venezia (Barberini, Sconci 2009, p. 62, n. 57).
The basin stands out among the ceramic materials known to have been utilized in Rome during the fifteenth century. It is plausible that this object was crafted in Roman workshops under the direct commission of the cardinal, specifically for integration into the tower's walls. From the twelfth century onwards, glazed or enameled basins were commonly observed on the walls of Roman bell towers. These basins were mostly produced in the Maghreb or Islamic Spain and were sometimes repurposed from tableware before being used decoratively. This practice declined during the fifteenth century, making the basin featuring the Barbo coat of arms one of the last examples of ceramics employed for the external decoration of buildings in the Roman urban landscape.

Luca Pesante

Good.

Family insignia of Cardinal Marco Barbo (1420–1491), nephew of Pope Paul II.

From the outer wall of the Torre del Belvedere of Palazzo Venezia in Rome;
removed in 1962.

Rome, Museo del Corso, April 29–September 7, 2008, Il ‘400 a Roma. La rinascita delle arti da Donatello a Perugino.

Casanova Uccella Maria Letizia (a cura di), Palazzo Venezia. Paolo II e le fabbriche di S. Marco, catalogo della mostra (Roma, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia, maggio-settembre 1980), Roma 1980;
Sconci Maria Selene, in Bernardini Maria Grazia, Bussagli Marco, Strinati Claudio (a cura di), Il '400 a Roma. La rinascita delle arti da Donatello a Perugino, catalogo della mostra (Roma, Museo del Corso, 29 aprile-7 settembre 2008), 2 voll. Milano 2008, II, pp. 189-190, n. 62;
Barberini Maria Giulia, Sconci Maria Selene (a cura di), Guida al Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, Roma 2009, p. 62, n. 57.