Property from a European Collection
Italian, Urbino, circa 1540-50
Istoriato Plate with the Story of Jupiter disguised as a Shepherd
Auction Closed
February 7, 08:37 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 9,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Property from a European Collection
Italian, Urbino, circa 1540-50
Istoriato Plate with the Story of Jupiter disguised as a Shepherd
the reverse inscribed Giove Converso in Pastore, surrounded by concentric yellow rings
tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica)
diameter: 10 ⅛ in.; 25.7 cm
This istoriato dish depicts the story of Jupiter disguised as a shepherd. In his Metamophoses (Book 6, line 114), Ovid describes how Jupiter adopted this pastoral disguise in order to seduce Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory and the mother of the Muses, seen here on the right side of the dish. According to legend, their liaison resulted in the birth of the nine muses.