A large 17th century display plate of accentuated well and raisedlip, decorated in cobalt-blue pigment on tin-white ground.The plate’s central section, framed by contiguous curlybrackets, is taken by an exotic landscape replete of expanded foliageelements, from which stand out a pair of deer by a riverbank,or lake shore, bordered by a fence. In the distance a small templeunder a cloud filled with water droplets.Extending down to the well, the lip features six polylobedbracket shaped sections alternating chrysanthemums, wrappedin cords or ribbons, and birds, in this instance cranes, resting onpeach tree branches. These sections alternate with small columnswhose interior is filled by bows tied by seals. The lip underside isdefined by fourteen segments of double filleting, decorated withS shaped serpentine coils.In terms of its decorative grammar this plate follows theChinese porcelain prototypes produced during the reign of EmperorWanli, integrating the group of Portuguese faience productiongenerally referred to as Wanli or Pré-Aranhões, for its marked influenceof Kraak porcelain.The shared characteristics between the Chinese manufactureand this specific plate are evident in its ornamental detailsand, above all, in its decorative composition. Its detailed paintedmotifs are represented in fine blue outlines filled by watery blue gradations. This affinity is evidenced in both the central medalliondepicting the two deer1 in a landscape, a widely used motif in themid-Wanli period,2 and in the lip, where the elements are presentedin bracket shaped sections filled by traditional Chinese symbols,such as the chrysanthemum wrapped in ribbons, associated tolongevity, or the crane, of identical association3 and inserted in avegetable environment.The Pré-Aranhões group marks the consolidation ofPortuguese faience production and, on a stylistic level, the wideningof the iconographic repertoire to include oriental motifs.The fineness and excellent quality of both paste and pigmentendow this plate, at first glance, with the appearance of orientalporcelain. The Portuguese potter, however, has provided it witha unique identity by taking over floral and other Chinese motifsin a merely ornamental manner, devoid of the symbolic meaningthat those elements assumed in the oriental tradition. This specificdetail confers each 17th century Portuguese faience piece itsunique and powerful character.For its ostentatious character and manufacture quality, it islikely that this plate’s production was aimed at a Portuguese eliteclientele or specially destined for the export market.
Teresa Peralta