Late 19th Century French Palissy Ware Majolica Platter | Trompe-l'Oeil Pond Life With Carp, Snake, and Lizard | School of Paris

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An exceptional and highly detailed 19th-century French Palissy Ware majolica charger, capturing a vivid trompe-l'œil aquatic tableau. Produced in the … Read more An exceptional and highly detailed 19th-century French Palissy Ware majolica charger, capturing a vivid trompe-l'œil aquatic tableau. Produced in the tradition of the famous School of Paris revivalists, this spectacular high-relief platter transforms a functional ceramic shape into a three-dimensional window into a freshwater pond ecosystem.
The centerpiece features a beautifully modeled, iridescent freshwater carp resting on textured river moss and ferns. Circling the pond's edge is a menacing, realistically scaled snake poised near the fish, while a slender lizard glides along the left rim. The lower border is adorned with an intricate moth, and the upper rim features delicate river snails and shells.
The entire scene is set against a deeply textured, mottled cobalt blue ground that mimics the rippling movement of water. It is finished in a brilliant, glassy lead glaze with a rich palette of emerald green, earthy ochres, and deep browns—true to the mid-to-late 19th-century Palissy tradition. 11” diameter 2” height See less