Vintage Portuguese Palissy Majolica Lobster & Sea Themed Ceramic Plate

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This is a mid-20th century Portuguese majolica wall plaque in high relief, depicting a lobster in a beach or tidepool … Read more This is a mid-20th century Portuguese majolica wall plaque in high relief, depicting a lobster in a beach or tidepool setting, attributed to the Caldas da Rainha ceramic tradition. The sculptural crustacean is modeled in vivid reddish-brown glaze with detailed segmented legs and claws, dramatically raised above a textured sandy ground. The border is richly adorned with molded and glazed elements suggestive of seaweed, anemones, and mollusks, rendered in a palette of green, ochre, ivory, and cobalt on a mottled glaze ground with foamy spurts of slip-trailed decoration.

The reverse bears a molded stamp reading Caldas Portugal, referring to the town of Caldas da Rainha, a renowned center for ceramic production since the 19th century, most famously associated with the caricatural and naturalistic ceramics of Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro. The exuberant marine theme and heavy sculptural modeling are hallmarks of the factory's postwar ornamental production, particularly popular in the mid-century tourist and export market. The plate is fitted with a suspension wire for wall mounting.

Measures approximately 11.5 inches in diameter by 3.25 inches deep. See less