A silver-gilt circular dish, Hispanic or Italian, first half of the 16th century

domed centre embossed and chased with a medallion of a vestal Virgin feeding the flames, a plinth to the side possibly engraved 1513, within a chased border of demi native figures, masks and flower swags, all encircled by entwining scrolls, the rim chased with portrait medallions between grotesques, reeded border, crowned cypher F and inventory number No. 6, unmarked

Dom Fernando II (1816-1885), King of Portugal,
Then by descent to a European Princely Family

Some denting to the rim; old repair to rim where well of body joins decorative border, scratches, nicks etc. Overall condition of ornament and gilding good commensurate with age. For further queries please contact the Silver Department directly on +44(0)207 293 5531
"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 dish echoes the grotesque chimeras and portrait medallion decoration of the flagon ( lot III), which similarly bears the crowned cypher F for Dom Fernando II and inventory number of the same form. Dom Fernando was a fervent collector of early European, but mostly Portuguese silver, some of which he loaned to the Lisbon Exhibition of 1882 (Exposição retrospectiva de Arte Ornamental Portugueza e Hespanhola). It is not known if the current dish was exhibited there as the descriptions lack detail, but the flagon in this sale is recognisable as it was illustrated. The latter was presented at the time with a large matching dish (see Fig. l) which were together described in the inventory after the death of Fernando as 16^th Century Italian workmanship.  
The similar grotesque ornament found on the dish in this lot and the flagon and dish mentioned above was first introduced on Roman Palazzi frescoes after the discovery of Nero's palace, the Domus Aurea, at the end of the 15^th Century. They appeared quickly as painted ornament on faience objects but seem to have taken longer to be embossed or chased on metalwork. From the limited material available, such dishes, with grotesques and medallions are considered to be Spanish and Portuguese and dated to circa 1530-1540 at the earliest. See a silver-gilt basin, dated 1550-1560 now in the Toledo Cathedral, illustrated in C. Hernmarck, The Art of the European Silversmith, 1430-1830, New York, 1977, fig. 636,  and another one, in the Kunsthistorisches museum, Vienna (see Fig. 2). The present dish however appears to be inscribed 1513, which might indicate an exceptionally early example.