Limoges, France, ca. early 18th century CE, attributed to Pierre II Nouailher. Circular two handled enamel copper dish with repousse exterior detailing depicting swirling ferns in white; the interior intersperses ferns with religious designs. On the interior bottom is a scene of Jesus and a man -- potentially St Peter -- crowning a woman in blue who is almost certainly the Virgin Mary. Above the scene is a white dove; winged cherubs ring the scene on the interior sides of the bowl. The colors include black, a delicate white, a deep purple, and a deep blue; on the back are green and dark red. The bottom of the bowl shows a scene of a red-roofed mill over a river with a tree in the foreground, possibly alluding to where the piece was manufactured. The details of the painting, particularly for Jesus's musculature and the other man's robes, are fine. This piece looks very similar to one done by the famous Limoges enameler Jean de Court and his sister Susanne de Court that is part of the Waddesdon Bequest to the British Museum. Size: 6.5" W x 1.4" H (16.5 cm x 3.6 cm).

From the Middle Ages onward, the city of Limoges in central France has been renowned for its production of enamel on metal -- not only were most of the natural elements required to make enamel present in the environment there, but it was also an important pilgrimage center and stop along the route to Santiago de Compostela. Enamel is similar to glass; it consists of silica and a fluxing agent that is then colored by metallic oxides or carbonates and fused to a metal surface by heat. Towards the end of the fifteenth century, the artisans at Limoges began to develop the materials and techniques to paint freely on copper surfaces, without demarcations between colors, allowing more naturalistic art styles. Some of the best artisans in Limoges had the ability to paint enamel so that it looks almost like an oil painting. The blue here is probably cobalt, and the purple is probably manganese. These advancements in technology coincided with the widespread circulation of printed images, so decorations on enamel were often based on printed scenes. The copper had to be pure to be suitable for enameling; it is thought that this copper came from France until the 16th century, when it may have been Spanish New World copper coming up the pilgrimage route.

Provenance: From the estate of M. Reiniger, Chicago, IL

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#111198

Restored. Nearly all of the artwork survives from the original and is bright and clear. There are flashes of copper if you look closely.