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Circe offers a Magic Potion to the Companions of Ulysses: C.16-1953

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Circe offers a Magic Potion to the Companions of Ulysses

Maker(s)

Workshop: Zenobia Painter

Entities

Categories

Description

Maiolica dish, painted in polychrome, with Circe offering a Magic Potion to the Companions of Ulysses

Pale buff earthenware, tin-glazed overall; the reverse pale beige. Painted in blue, green, yellow, orange, brown, black, and white.
Shape 59. Circular with a sloping rim and wide shallow well.
Circe offers a Magic Potion to the Companions of Ulysses. On the right, Circe sits on a rock resting her left arm on a tall vase and holding out a bowl to one of Ulysses' companions who strides forward to receive it, his cloak billowing out. Behind him there is a snake-like monster and a merman, and in front of Circe, a coiled snake. On the left, four of Ulysses' companions, draped in billowing cloaks, are lifting their black ship out of the sea. In the foreground are rocks and pebbles, and in the background, the sea and a mountainous island. The edge is yellow. The back has `Circe' inscribed in the middle in dark blue, a yellow band midway across the rim, and another on the outer edge.

Notes

History note: Sir Andrew Fountaine (?); Andrew Fountaine IV; his heir; Christie's, 18 June 1884, Catalogue of the celebrated Fountaine collection of majolika, Henry II ware, Palissy ware, Nevers ware, Limoges enamels . . ., removed from Narford Hall, Norfolk, lot 318; Willson & Son. Marmaduke Langdale Horn (1889-1953) by whom bequeathed.

Legal notes

M.L. Horn Bequest

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 28.2 cm
Height: 4 cm

Place(s) associated

  • Pesaro ⪼ The Marches ⪼ Italy

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1953-10-22) by Horn, Marmaduke Langdale

Dating

Renaissance
16th Century
Circa 1550 CE - 1575 CE

Note

The style of painting is related to that of the 'Zenobia Painter', who was named after a dish inthe Victoria and Albert Museum (C.47-1970), decorated with the subjection of Zenobia and her children to the Emperor Aurelian, and dated 1552. It is not known how long this painter stayed in Pesaro or whether he had his own workshop, but for convenience work similar in style to the Zenoiba dish has been described as from the 'workshop of the Zenobia Painter'.

School or Style

Renaissance

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Decoration composed of high-temperature colours ( blue, green, yellow, orange, brown, black, and white)

Materials used in production

Tin-glaze
Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Tin-glazing : Pale buff earthenware, tin-glazed overall; the reverse pale beige. Painted in blue, green, yellow, orange, brown, black, and white.

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: Circe
  • Location: On base
  • Method of creation: Painted in dark blue

Inscription present: rectangular with cut corners

  • Text: Fountaine/Collection
  • Method of creation: Inscribed in faded ink
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: square

  • Text: M/II/W.B.C.
  • Method of creation: Inscribed in faded ink
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: rectangular

  • Text: with Circe, painted in yellow tones./From the Fountaine Collection 1884.
  • Method of creation: Typed
  • Type: Label
  • Text: 'af' and '37'
  • Method of creation: Incised

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.16-1953
Primary reference Number: 72326
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 27 February 2024 Last processed: Tuesday 5 March 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Circe offers a Magic Potion to the Companions of Ulysses" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/72326 Accessed: 2024-11-09 00:44:01

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/72326 |title=Circe offers a Magic Potion to the Companions of Ulysses |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-09 00:44:01|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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