Platter
MakerMade by
W. T. Copeland & Sons
(English, 1867 - 1970)
Date1890
MediumMold-formed earthenware with underglaze cobalt blue decoration
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth): 1 3/4 x 18 1/2 x 14 1/4in. (4.4 x 47 x 36.2cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineBequest of George Dudley Seymour
Object number1945.1.1495
DescriptionOval, white earthenware platter with a gently scalloped edge and an oval well. The platter is decorated with a transfer-printed pattern and border of underglaze cobalt blue. The pattern, covering the entire center of the platter, shows a river in the foreground with a bridge of three arches to the left. Two figures walk along each bank of the river, with three additional figures sitting in boats on the river. Behind the bridge is a building with a large, tall dome and cross on top. To the right of this building is a tall column with a statue on top. To the right of the bridge, a fortress-like structure sits on a hill. The structure is surrounded by two levels of crenellated walls and has a statue of a winged figure on top. This building is surrounded by three trees. The branches of a willow tree frames the landscape on the upper left. This landscape is surrounded by a border at the rim of the platter. The border consists of irregularly shaped panels decorated in a variety of patterns and shades of blue with flowers, shells, and other abstract geometric shapes.
NotesSubject Note: The large building at left is Saint Peter's Basilica; the column in the middle is Trajan's Column; and the large, fortress-like structure to the right is Castel San Angelo (Saint Angelo Castle), built by the Emperor Hadrian in 130-139 AD as a mausoleum and monument for himself and his family. Hadrian and his wife, Sabina, are buried there, as were succeeding Roman emperors until Septimus Severus in 175 AD. An underground passage connects Castel San Angelo with the Vatican Palace; in times of war or siege, the Pope used the passage to find safety in Castel San Angelo. A statue of the Emperor Trajan once stood on the summit of his column; it was replaced with the current statue of Saint Peter in 1588, in part because of the column's proximity to the small church of San Pietro, but also to update a pagan monument as a Christian one.
Object Note: While this platter shows three important landmarks in Rome, the location of Trajan's column is inaccurate: Saint Peter's Basilica and Castle San Angelo are in close proximity to one another on the same side of the Tiber River, but Trajan's column is on the opposite side of the river, and on the opposite side of Rome itself. Trajan's Column is actually located in the antique quarter of Rome, near the Colisseum, the Arch of Constantine, and the Forum. (Hudson 2/14/2005)
Status
Not on view
