Dish (piatto): Man Washing the Mouth of an Ass

The work is a circular painted panel depicting a figure in vivid red and green attire attending to a donkey perched on a low platform. The animal’s mouth is being brushed as if being cleaned, while a small bowl rests on the ground. Behind the scene a wooden crate bears a Latin inscription, and the surrounding space is filled with striking blue, white and orange decorative motifs.

The composition presents a humorous tableau in which a man appears to wash the mouth of a donkey, treating the animal as though it were a human participant in a ritual. The absurdity of the act, combined with the presence of a Latin‑scripted box, suggests a satirical commentary, possibly mocking pretensions of learning or the folly of certain customs.

During the era of its creation, painted plates often served as vehicles for allegorical or humorous scenes, reflecting contemporary tastes for wit and visual riddles. The inclusion of a donkey, a common symbol of stubbornness or folly, paired with a human figure in bright costume would have resonated with viewers familiar with emblematic literature and moralizing art.