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Lot Essay
This plaque may be associated with the production of Pierre Reymond. The treatment of the stars against the dark sky provides a particularly interesting point of comparison with several works attributed to the Limoges enameller, notably a Plate depicting Susanna Led to the Martyrdom in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. no. MR 2426). The highly distinctive treatment of the figures is likewise comparable with the facial features outlined in black, as well as the particular attention paid to anatomy, visible in the rendering of the musculature and even in the treatment of the navel, including when it is partially concealed by clothing or armour. The presence of a fine halo surmounting a contemporary headdress also provides an interesting comparison with the figure of Mary Magdalene at the foot of the Cross on the Crucifixion altarpiece in the Petit Palais, Paris (inv. no. ODUT1260).
A particularly enigmatic element appears in the landscape: a shield suspended from a tree, bearing a heart pierced by three nails, surmounted in chief by a cross pattée flanked by two stars. The presence of this coat of arms raises questions as to its significance. The heart pierced by three nails could naturally be understood as a symbolic reference to the Passion of Christ. However, the composition of the shield, and in particular the presence of a clearly defined chief bearing a cross pattée and two stars, could also suggest genuine heraldic arms, belonging to a family, a particular individual, or possibly a religious institution.
Research undertaken has not allowed these arms to be identified with certainty. Their composition may nevertheless point towards a genuine heraldic origin: when a shield is fictitious or intended primarily to evoke a saint or a religious symbol, the religious motif would generally be represented alone, rather than being combined with a chief that itself follows the conventions of heraldic composition. The combination of the heart, cross pattée and two stars therefore leaves open the possibility of a more specific reference, the identification of which remains uncertain at present.
A particularly enigmatic element appears in the landscape: a shield suspended from a tree, bearing a heart pierced by three nails, surmounted in chief by a cross pattée flanked by two stars. The presence of this coat of arms raises questions as to its significance. The heart pierced by three nails could naturally be understood as a symbolic reference to the Passion of Christ. However, the composition of the shield, and in particular the presence of a clearly defined chief bearing a cross pattée and two stars, could also suggest genuine heraldic arms, belonging to a family, a particular individual, or possibly a religious institution.
Research undertaken has not allowed these arms to be identified with certainty. Their composition may nevertheless point towards a genuine heraldic origin: when a shield is fictitious or intended primarily to evoke a saint or a religious symbol, the religious motif would generally be represented alone, rather than being combined with a chief that itself follows the conventions of heraldic composition. The combination of the heart, cross pattée and two stars therefore leaves open the possibility of a more specific reference, the identification of which remains uncertain at present.