A LIMOGES ENAMELLED PLATE

THIRD QUARTER 16TH CENTURY

Details

A LIMOGES ENAMELLED PLATE
Third Quarter 16th Century
Decorated 'en grisaille' with fleshtone highlights, and depicting the labor of the month of May, with classically dressed figures in an extensive landscape reading, and gesturing while holding a lute, the border of musical trophies with cartouche to the top inscribed I and another at the bottom inscribed MAYVS, the reverse depicting two dancing children, emblematic of Gemini, within a strapwork border with seraphim and goddess mask
7¼in. (18.5cm.) diameter

Lot Essay

A nearly identical plate representing the labor of the month of May that is by Martial Courteys (d.1592) is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (illus. S. Caroselli, The Painted Enamels of Limoges, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1993, cat. no. 33). It is interesting to note that the Los Angeles plate has two women weaving floral chains to the left of the two reading that are missing in this plate, while the present plate is centered on the rocky fountain to the background.

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