Urbino Majolica Dish With “a Istoriato” Decoration, Gironimo Tomasi Worshop, C. 1560/1575.

Urbino majolica dish with polychrome decoration in the “a istoriato” style depicting a scene from the Acts of the Apostles*
Titled “La spiritata” on the reverse.

Marked with a triangle on the back for the painter with the triangle.

Workshop of Gironimo Tomasi. Circa 1560/1575, 16th century.

Diameter: 30.2 cm.

Two pieces glued back together on the wing between 7 and 8 o'clock.

Price: €11,500

* See Carmen Ravanelli Guidotti, Maioliche della più bella fabbrica, Exhibition catalog, Brescia 2006, p. 82 ff. for a study of this workshop.

*This scene illustrates an episode from the life of Saint Paul in which the apostle freed a servant girl possessed by a spirit of divination in the city of Philippi. 16.16 As we were going to the place of prayer, a servant girl who had a spirit of Python and who, by divination, brought her masters a great profit, came to meet us. 16.17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 16.18 She did this for many days. Finally, Paul became annoyed and turned around and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out at that very moment. (Acts of the Apostles, Acts XVI, v.16 to v.18.)