Platter

Decorated by Frederick Rhead, Wedgwood

1878

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Pair of solid white jasper urns with black jasper dip and applied white jasper relief decoration, each resting on a small square plinth decorated with anthemion motifs, the round foot with a band of overlapping leaves highlighted with shading, the bulbous, lower body with leafy and lotus elements and the main body decorated with a scene of Apollo and the Nine Muses, likewise highlighted with shading, above the main scene a pattern of floral garlands held in place by small paterae, with two upright, fluted and slightly extended loop handles, along the shoulder a band of anthemion motifs, the conforming flat cover with a band of scrolls along the edge and on top in a star-like pattern stylized acanthus leaves, the tall finial baluster shaped, the interior white.
Round dark blue jasper medallion with white relief scene of Cupid unmasked also known as Cupid as Oracle. In his role as God of Love Cupid is divining the future for the assembled maidens, set in brass frame with ring
Round dark blue jasper cameo with white relief scene of two classical figures, one seated in front of tree with the other behind
Oval medallion with profile portrait of Jean-Francois Marmontel (1723-1799), French writer and dramatist, born in the Limousin region (noe Haute Vienne). Educated at the Jesuit college at Mauriac. Marmontel became a teacher of philosophy at the Bernardine seminary at Toulouse. He attracted the notice of Voltaire, who advised him to go to Paris where he arrived in 1745. A tragedy produced in 1747 at once gave him celebrity. An introduction to Madame de Pompadour brought him the place of secretary to her brother, the Marquis de Marigny. Marmontel frequented the salon of Madame Geoffrin, and after the death of his friend, Boissy, he was given the Mercure de France. After a great deal of opposition Marmontel was elected to the Academy in 1763, and in 1783 was appointed Secretary and historiographer of France. He retired to Normandy at the outbreak of the revolution, dying there in 1799. This model comes from an unsigned engraving dated 1765