Italian, Venice, circa 1500

With J. Kugel Antiquaires, Paris;

From whom acquired by the present collector.

The present plate, with its vivid palette of blue, green, turquoise, white, and red enamel and surface embellished with delicate gilt ornament, belongs to a group of Venetian enamel works produced in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. These objects were celebrated for their luminous enamel, intricate decorative motifs, and refined craftsmanship.

Its colors were achieved by first applying a layer of white enamel, before adding the various other hues.¹ The delicate gilt ornament—repeating floral motifs, twisting vines— is reminiscent of arabesque designs and was likely inspired by Middle Eastern metalwork, of which the artisans behind the creation of these objects would have been exposed to due to the city's geographical position joining Asian and Arab trade routes with Europe.

A similar plate, featuring the same gilt floral motifs and green is in the collection of the Collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (fig. 1). https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/156456