ATTRIBUTED TO JEAN DE COURT, MASTER IC OR JEAN COURTOIS (C.1530-1584), LIMOGES, LATE 16TH CENTURY

Jean de Court was an enameller in the mid to late 16^th century, heading a successful workshop and part of a family dynasty of artists. Only one fully signed and dated work by de Court survives, a polychrome plaque depicting Marguerite de France as Minerva created in 1555 (inv. no. C589, see Higgott, loc. cit.). However, de Court’s identity has been a subject of much debate among scholars since the 19^th century and he has been associated with works initialled ‘I.C.’, ‘I.D.C’ and ‘I.C.D.V.’ Adding to the complicated history of this artist, he is also believed to have been the same Jean de Court who is recorded as the court painter to Mary Queen of Scots from 1562 and in 1572 succeeded Francois Clouet as painter to Charles IX of France.

The present lot is characteristic of a number of works attributed to de Court that all share a vibrant color scheme and a jewel-like quality. The closest of these is a tazza sold as Sotheby’s, London from the collection of Nathaniel Mayer Victor, 3^rd Lord Rothschild (12 December 2003, lot 14). This tazza depicts a central medallion with a bull framed in clouds and encircled by hunting scenes to the front. The treatment of the figures with highlights in gold, representation of clouds and overall palette indicate the same hand at work. The reverses of both are near identical, following the same composition of strapwork, masks and winged figures.