Mid 20th Century Majolica Bernard Palissy Style Faience Trompe l'Oeil Crab Plate

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This decorative Majolica ceramic seafood motif wall hanging platter is hand painted with a rich jewel toned color palette that … Read more This decorative Majolica ceramic seafood motif wall hanging platter is hand painted with a rich jewel toned color palette that includes crimson red, deep root green and a touch of deep sea blue with a light ochre background. This sophisticated trompe l'oueil sculpted "Araignée de Mer" (decorative seafood platter) features a glazed almost life like spider crab surrounded by figural mussels, clams, and seaweed. This is a artisanal replica piece made in the 16th century style of Bernard Palissy. He was the French Rennaisance artist known for his collections of sculpted works with a gastric theme that became favored by French arsitrocracy. The originals now considered historic and national treasures, now sit permanently under the permanent supervision of the Louvre in Paris.

This plate is unsigned, but plates like this one, which have the appearance of the original faience earthenware likely hails from Caldas da Rainha in Portugal. Among the Portuguese potteries who now create "Palissy ware" are Mafra, Jose A. Cuhna, Alves, José Francisco de Sousa, Cezar, Herculano Elias, and Augusto Baptista de Carvalho. (circa 1950s) See less