Hispano-moresque Lustre Pottery Dish, Spain, Possibly Valencia, 17th-18th Century

Hispano-Moresque lustre pottery dish, Spain, possibly Valencia, 17th-18th century

Diameter: 18 cm 

Technique: Tin-glazed earthenware with metallic lustre decoration

A deep dish with a slightly everted rim, decorated with a metallic lustre in coppery tones, in places golden and violet. At the centre, a roundel encloses a scalloped leaf motif recalling a stylised pine cone, surrounded by scrolls and volutes; the rim alternates lobes and pointed leaves punctuated by small clusters of dots. The reverse is glazed white but undecorated with lustre, showing some drips and splashes of coppery lustre from firing. The decorative scheme and handling of the design belong to the tradition of Spanish workshops in the Valencia region, which continued from the late Middle Ages a production of lustreware derived from the Hispano-Islamic repertoire.