Large Urbino Majolica Dish Atelier Castelli

Large oblong majolica dish from Urbino, 18th-19th century, Castelli d'Abruzzo workshop, with polychrome decoration depicting The Triumph of Amphitrite - an old, barely legible ink inscription on the back reads: Venus Tritons... after the Italian painter Annibale Carracci (1560-1609). Probably a reference to a fresco painted by the artist on the vault of the Farnese Gallery in Rome, which represents the Procession of Venus. The border is decorated with a rich foliate and floral motif, cartouches adorned with mascarons, and alternating reclining putti. According to the myth recounted by Hesiod in the Theogony, Aphrodite was born from the foam of the waves after the mutilation of Uranus; Zephyr saw her as she emerged from the waves, scooped her up in a mother-of-pearl shell, and then carried her to the island of Cyprus, also known as the island of Aphrodite. Good original condition, dimensions: 47 cm long x 36 cm wide x 6 cm thick