Large antique Italian Majolica Istoriato Dish, Naples c1880, classical scene

Size:  Dish 40 cm (15.75 inches) diameter, standing 8 cm deep.

Condition:  There are some chips to the foot-rim of the dish (see photos), but otherwise it is in excellent condition. There are some small areas of misfiring on the back - no overpainting, there is no restoration.

This is a very high quality dish of its kind, hard to find in such good condition.

The initials painted on the underside of the dish are a monogram GM.  This is probably for Giovanni Mollica, an artist from a Neapolitan family producing Renaissance Revival ware in the late 19th and early 20th century.  It has also been suggested that it is Michele Giustiniani, who was from a dynasty of highly reputed ceramic artists who flourished in Naples from the 16th century, but Mollica is more likely.  The painting in the central well is of very high quality.

The dish is painted with a border of mythical creatures, and the central panel has a scene showing Apollo with three of the Muses on Mount Olympus, playing his lyre to the goddess Cybele, who is flanked by two wonderful lions.  The border, showing typical Renaissance style motifs, is vibrant and neat, the painting probably done by an assistant.

The dish is in the istoriato style developed in Italy in Faenza around 1500. Istoriato ware was painted with scenes after or in the style of oil paintings of the period- the scenes were typically Biblical, historical, or mythological. Typically the painting used a palette of blue, ochre, green, and black on a white ground, as with this dish.

The dish is majolica, or maiolica, earthenware clay with a pale layer of clay applied, on which the painting is done before the whole item is covered in a transparent glaze and fired.

As well as the painted initials GM, there are the  remains of some old labels on the base of the dish.