a large Urbino dish, 1560-1585

painted with a Roman Circus scene of a mass knife and sword-fight, the naked warriors in chaotic combat, watched by the populace from behind a wooden fence, the city of Rome in the background, the reverse inscribed 'spectavl.dvro.di.coltelatori.'

Sotheby's London, 10th October 1978, lot 131

In generally good condition; yellow rim touched in; typical minor flakes; lower half of dish with some speckling and matting of the glaze during firing, there is a minute hairline crack at 10 o'clock, almost unnoticeable
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The scene is taken from a design by Taddeo Zuccaro, one of  a large series he produced for the most ambitious maiolica commission of the Renaissance, the celebrated 'Spanish service'.

That lavish service was made at the behest of the Duke of Urbino in 1560-62, and was decorated with scenes from the life of Julius Caesar.  It was presented by the Duke to the King of Spain in 1562. A drawing after Zuccaro with a version of the scene survives in the Musée du Louvre, though the Zuccaro original is lost.

The drawings for this service, at least fifty in number, were retained in Urbino, and re-used afterwards; four other examples of maiolica with this particular subject are known. One dish is in the Galleria Estense, Modena, one in the City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, acquired by the Museum in 1886, previously in the Fountaine collection of Maiolica, sold at Christie's, 16-19 June 1884, lot 55, one in a private collection (illustrated by Timothy Wilson, Italian Maiolica of the Renaissance, no.150), and there is also a cistern in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. An article by Timothy Clifford and J.V.G. Mallet in the Burlington magazine for June 1976, p.387, illustrates three of these examples.

The scene probably depicts the brutal mass knife-fight ordered by Julius Caesar as one of the lavish entertainments to celebrate a series of Caesar's victories in 46BC. This fight, and other wild entertainments, caused much controversy among the Roman public, some of whom objected to the vulgarity of the entertainments and felt that the level of brutality was unworthy of Rome, especially since by tradition the circus was attended by women. Dio Cassius, in his Roman History, notes that  'As for the men, he not only pitted them against one another singly in the Forum, but also he made them fight together in the Circus, horsemen against horsemen, men on foot against others on foot....He was blamed indeed for the great number of those slain.'

According to J.F.C. Fuller, Julius Caesar,ch.13: 'When Caesar returned to Rome, the Senate granted him triumphs for his victories, ostensibly those over Gaul, Egypt, Pharnaces and Juba, rather than over his Roman opponents. Not everything went Caesar's way. When Arsinoe IV, Egypt's former queen, was paraded in chains, the spectators admired her dignified bearing and were moved to pity. Triumphal games were held, with beast-hunts involving 400 lions, and gladiator contests. A naval battle was held on a flooded basin at the Field of Mars. At the Circus Maximus, two armies of war captives, each of 2,000 people, 200 horse and 20 elephants, fought to the death. Again, some bystanders complained, this time at Caesar's wasteful extravagance. A riot broke out, and only stopped when Caesar had two rioters sacrificed by the priests on the Field of Mars...'