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Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna: C.12-1953

An image of Dish

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna

Maker(s)

Painter: Avelli, Francesco Xanto
Lustre painter: Andreoli workshop
Printmaker: Caraglio, Giovanni Giacomo (After)

Entities

  • Dish
  • shallow dish on low foot

Categories

Description

Maiolica dish on a low foot, painted in polychrome with Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna.

Earthenware, tin-glazed overall; the reverse pale beige. Painted in blue, green, turquoise, yellow, orange, beige, brown, manganese, and black; red and golden lustre. Shape 78. Circular with shallow upturned sides and flat centre, standing on a low foot.
Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna. Mucius Scaevola stands on the right holding his right hand over flames burning on an altar, behind which stands a soldier and a nude boy, pointing towards Lars Porsenna, who sits on a throne beneath a draped curtain, his feet resting awkwardly on a foot stool. On the right side there is a tree and in the background two more trees and six tents. A black band and a yellow band encircle the outer edge. In the middle of the back there is a lustred swirl and an inscription in dark blue: `.1533./Mucio che la sua des/tra errate cuoce./Nella. . Deca d Tito Livio/Fra: Xato .A./da Rouigo./i Urbino.' (Mucius who scorches his erring right hand.In the Decade of Tito Livius Francesco Xanto Avelli da Rovigo in Urbino.); on the sides, four complex swirls of rd and gold lustre and a yellow band on the edge.

Notes

History note: Alexander Barker; Sir Francis Cook, Bt; Wyndham F. Cook; Humphrey W. Cook; Christie's, 7 July 1925, Catalogue of an important collection of objects of art of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the property of Humphrey W. Cook, Esq., and removed from 8 Cadogan Square, S.W., being a portion of the celebrated collection formed by the late Sir Francis Cook, Bart., lot 76; W.H. Woodward; Henry Harris; Sotheby's, 20 June 1950, Catalogue of fine Italian maiolica from the well-known collection of the late Henry Harris, Esq. . . ., lot 117; Marmaduke Langdale Horn (1890-1953).

Legal notes

M.L. Horn Bequest

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 29.2 cm
Height: 5.5 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Urbino ⪼ The Marches ⪼ Italy
  • Gubbio ⪼ Umbria ⪼ Italy

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1953-10-22) by Horn, Marmaduke Langdale

Dating

16th Century, second quarter#
Renaissance
Production date: dated AD 1533

Note

Probably lustred in Gubbio in the workshop of Maestro Giorgio Andreoli

The figures were adapted from the Marriage of Alexander and Roxana, engraved by G.G. Caraglio after Raphael (Illustrated Bartsch, 28, p. 201, no. 62).

School or Style

Renaissance

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colours ( blue, green, turquoise, yellow, orange, beige, brown, manganese, and black) reduced pigment lustre ( copper appearing red and silver-yellow appearing golden lustre)

Materials used in production

Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Moulding : Earthenware, tin-glazed overall; the reverse pale beige. Painted in blue, green, turquoise, yellow, orange, beige, brown, manganese, and black; red and golden lustre.
Tin-glazing

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: 1533./Mucio che la sua des/tra errate cuoce./Nella. . Deca d Tito Livio/Fra: Xato .A./da Rouigo./i Urbino.
  • Location: In the middle of the back
  • Method of creation: Painted in dark blue

Inscription present: rectangular with cut corners and red printed border

  • Text: 'Mutius Scaevola/before Porsenna./____ / "Alexander" on/"V & A" Dish.' with `3' in pencil to the right of `on'
  • Method of creation: Inscribed in blue-black ink and in pencil
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: rectangular

  • Text: typed 'To an Urbino plate on foot, painted with/Alexander by Xanto and lustred at Gubbio./ Signed and dated 1533./From the Cook Collection 1925.' and in blue-black ink ,`Lot 76 (£273)'.
  • Method of creation: Typed and in blue-black ink
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: rectangular

  • Text: From the Engraving by CARAGLIO after RAPHAEL. See/Victoria & Albert Museum/1748-1855 (Plate 38 Maiolica)/The Central Group is reversed/Both dated 1533
  • Method of creation: Inscribed in black ink
  • Type: Label

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.12-1953
Primary reference Number: 71591
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 18 December 2023 Last processed: Monday 18 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/71591 Accessed: 2024-11-02 16:27:20

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/71591 |title=Mucius Scaevola before Lars Porsenna |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-02 16:27:20|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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