View source for Patere

{{Infobox Patere2
|image=[[File:Patera.jpg|200px]]
|totalnumber=482
|totalnumbermissing=4
|purpose=Decorative
}}

Products  of Byzantine culture, ''patere''  are small, circular reliefs that  dot the sides of buildings throughout Venice and are a sub-set of [[Material Culture|material culture]]. Their shape originates  from the way they  were made, often sculpted from slices of old marble  columns that had  been replaced in past renovations of a building.    Patere constitute the oldest type of  Venetian [[:Category:Public Art|public art]], with flat  patere being the oldest of the category. ''Formelle'', a related type of  public art, are  also considered part of the ''patere'' collection  because they share  many of the same graphical motifs. ''Formelle'' are  often larger than  ''patere'', and are characterized by a rectangular  shape capped with a  rounded arch, rather than being circular. 

==Statistics==
[[File:Typicalpatera.jpg|right|thumb|A typical Byzantine patera]] 
*Patere are a sub-category of [[reliefs]].
*Patere are usually 20 to 80 centimeters in diameter
*Patere exist in six categories: flat, low/medium relief, high relief, curved, ''champlevé'', and drilled. 
*Extrememly fashionable in the 12th to 14th centuries, they were thought to protect a household from vice or evil.
*The motifs are widely varied with about 150 images accounting for the majority of the designs.
*The most popular image consists of an eagle eating the head of a rabbit, symbolizing the victory of virtue over vice.
*Home to 482 patere, Venice contains over one third of the worlds 1200 known patere.
*The [[Patera: San Marco 4620A|oldest patera]] is located in [[San Marco]] and dates from 1000 AD.
*The [[Patera: Dorsoduro 2222|most recent patera]] is located in [[Dorsoduro]] and dates from 1400 AD.
*The  [[Patera: San Marco 2557A|patera in the most need of  restoration]] is located in [[San Marco]] and dates from 1150 AD.
[[Image:Pateresubjectmatter.JPG]]
[[Image:Pateresestiere.JPG‎]]
[[Image:Paterematerial.JPG]]

==Damage and Preservation==
For general information pertaining to the sources of damage to Venetian patere, please see the [[Damage to public art]] page.

For general information pertaining to the restoration and preservation of Venetian patere, please see the [[Public art preservation|Restoration and preservation of public art]] page.

Specific information regarding the damage and restoration needs of each patera can be found on the pages dedicated to each individual patera, as listed in the map below and in the navigation box under the "See Also" section of this page.

{{Map Patere}}

==See Also==
{{PatereNav}}
{{PublicArtNav}}

==References==
*Rizzi, Alberto. "Scultura Esterna a Venezia." Stamperia di Venezia Editrice, 1987.
*[[Venice Project Center]]

==Bibliography==
*[http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-122610-103308/ 2010 WPI PreserVenice Project Team]
*[http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-122207-150125/ 2008 WPI PreserVenice Project Team]
*[http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-122207-150125/ 2007 WPI PreserVenice Project Team]
*[http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Scanned/00E050I 2000 WPI PreserVenice Project Team]

==External Links==
*[http://www.preservenice.org www.preservenice.org]
*[http://www.venice2point0.org www.venice2point0.org]

[[Category:Patere]]
[[Category:Decorative Artifacts]]
[[Category:Public Art]]
[[Category:Material Culture]]