A CASTELLI MAIOLICA ARMORIAL CHARGER

CIRCA 1680

Details

A CASTELLI MAIOLICA ARMORIAL CHARGER
Circa 1680
Painted with the triumphal procession of a Roman emperor, probably Constantine, the border with panels of military trophies, the top panel with the coat-of-arms of a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church
17.5/8in. (44.8cm.) diameter

Lot Essay

Given the ecclesiatic ownership of the charger and the fact that Constantine was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, his Triumph is the likely subject of the present dish, serving as a metaphor for the triumph of Christianity over Paganism.

The figure of the Emperor may be based on that of Jupiter enclosed within a surround of signs of the Zodiac as engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi in the Illustrated Bartsch, vol. 27, plate 352-I.

More from Continental Furn,Tapestries,Works of Art,Ceramics & Carpets

View All