Classical Battle Scene, Royal Prussian Iron Foundry, Gleiwitz, cast iron

Classical Battle Scene

Royal Prussian Iron Foundry, Gleiwitz

About 1800

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Blue jasper dish with white relief commemorating Christian IX, King of Denmark (1818-1898) made to commemorate his 80th Birthday.
Large, deep polychrome majolica plate in the istoriato style, in the middle with a scene in shades of blue, orange, green, and brown of Julius Caesar in Roman garb with cloak surrounded by Roman townspeople distributing and receiving wine and food within a courtyard defined by architectural structures and columns, probably based on a drawing by Taddeo Zuccaro (1529-66), the border decorated with grotesques on a whitened ground incorporating fantastic birds, part-human creatures, scrolls, stylized urns, and medallions imitating engraved gems, at the top the coat-of-arms of the Petrocchini family of Montelparo, Italy, the outer edge decorated in a modified egg-and-dart pattern; the reverse with a series of bright yellow bands and painted with the inscription SON FATTI DONI AL POPVLO ROMAO
Covered urn of lilac jasper dip with white jasper relief decoration, on square plinth decorated with anthemion motifs, the round foot with egg and dart motifs, the lower body with modified egg and dart and the main body with relief scenes from the life of Achilles, on one side the birth of Achilles and on the other the dipping of Achilles in the River Styx, below the lip a band of grapevines, egg and dart on the lip and a band of stylized leafy motifs around the shoulder, the conforming cover with stiff leaf motifs and pinecone finial.
Small brown stoneware jug of bottle shape on slightly flared foot, the body incised with a diamond pattern, the neck turned, with large loop handle, set with silver mounts on foot and neck forming a hinged lid (possibly of later date)