Dish: C.237-1991

Maker(s)

Workshop: Domenego da Venezia

Entities

• Dish
• shallow dish on a foot

Categories

• Tin-glazed earthenware
• Maiolica

Description

Renaissance maiolica shallow dish on a foot, painted in polychrome with a scene from classical history, perhaps the suicide of Ajax.

Shallow dish on a foot. Earthenware, tin-glazed pale blueish-grey overall; the reverse slightly tinged with green. Painted in blue, green, yellow, orange, brown, manganese-purple, black, and white.
Shape 79 with a low spreading foot. Circular with shallow upturned sides.
A scene from classical history, perhaps the suicide of Ajax. On the right, a man throws himself on his sword, and on the left, two warriors converse, seated on a rock. One is clean-shaven, wears a helmet and a cuirass over a tunic and holds a spear, while the other is bearded and wears a tunic and boots. In the foreground are stony paths and grass, and in the background, a bush and distant hills and buildings. On the back there are two narrow blue bands next to the yellow rim.

Notes

History note: William Ridout; Christie's, 13 December 1938, The William Ridout collection of Italian majolica, European pottery, faience and delftware, lot 55; H.S. Reitlinger (d.1950); the Reitlinger Trust, Maidenhead, from which transferred in 1991.

Legal notes

H.S. Reitlinger Bequest, 1950

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1950) by Reitlinger, Henry Scipio

Dating

16th Century
Renaissance
Circa 1555 - 1570

School or Style

Renaissance