Round dish with fighting lizard and snake

1865–87

Not on view

Portugese Palissy ware differs considerably from French examples, thanks to the work of Manuel Cipriano Gomes Mafra. Originally working as a waiter, Mafra moved to the town of Caldas da Rainha to work at the famed factory of Maria dos Cacos, which he soon took over. At Caldas, Mafra pioneered a style of Palissy ware that featured a distinctive usage of moss as a decorative bed for fish, lizards, and insects, a style quickly adopted by other Portuguese manufacturers of Palissy ware.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Round dish with fighting lizard and snake
Maker: Manuel Mafra (Portuguese, Caldas de Rainha, Portugal, 1830–1905)
Date: 1865–87
Culture: Portugal, Caldas de Rainha
Medium: Glazed earthenware
Dimensions: confirmed, irregular diameter: 3 1/2 × 15 11/16 × 15 9/16 in. (8.9 × 39.8 × 39.5 cm)
Classification: Ceramics-Pottery
Credit Line: Gift of Wallis Katz, in memory of Marshall Katz, and in celebration of the Museum's 150th anniversary, 2020
Object Number: 2020.86.20
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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Round plate with lobster, Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro Portuguese, Glazed earthenware, Portugal, Caldas de Rainha — Round plate with lobster
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Fabrica de Faianças das Caldas da Rainha
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Round dish with lobster and shells, Thomas-Victor Sergent French, Glazed earthenware with applied decoration, French — Round dish with lobster and shells
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The Infanta, Jean-Joseph Carriès French, Glazed stoneware, French, Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye — The Infanta
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Large basin with snake, ferns, and bark, Charles-Jean Avisseau French, Glazed earthenware, French — Large basin with snake, ferns, and bark
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ca. 1850–1855

Large Platter with Fish, Victor Barbizet French, Glazed earthenware, French — Large Platter with Fish
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