Unusual dated, deep and broad lipped plate, decorated in cobalt-bluepigment on a tin-white enamelled ground.In the well, framed by a polylobate fillet, and exuberantcomposition with a crowned cartouche, simulating an armorial, withtulips and the date 1646. The broad lip, of clear Chinese influenceddecoration extending to the well, in divided into six sections alternatingchrysanthemum corollae and bunches of daisies, separatedby columns topped by palmettes.On the lip reverse, six oval shaped filleted ovals encirclingsmall fleuron, alternating with vertical stripes.The inclusion of a clear date in the decoration of this harmoniousplate, is a fundamental element for the understandingof this production evolution and its interpretation. The dating ofPortuguese faience pieces, always in Arabic numerals, can referto the production year or allude to important historic events orfamily celebrations.It is also interesting to notice the association of the platelip Chinese decorative grammar to the clearly European armorial,whose characteristics and depiction of a bunch of tulips are definitely not Portuguese but Northern European, probably associatedto one of the Hanseatic League ports, by its similarities to otherarmorials in so called ‘Hamburg Faience’ pieces, or eventually toa Dutch or Dutch related commission.Despite belonging to the ‘pre-aranhões’ family, this plateexhibits significant variations on this theme. The decoration onits centre appears to simulate ferroneries, creating an unusual andeffective illusory effect, with no other recorded examples1. Tulips,which originated in Turkey, were introduced to the Netherlands in 1560 by the botanist Conrad von Gesner. Their name was inspiredby the Turkish-Ottoman word tülbend2.
1 Pais, Alexandre N., 2012, pp. 563–564.2 Casimiro, Tânia, 2010, p. 613.