LARGE ITALIAN SILVER AND GILT(?) PRESENTATION PLATE

Early 20th-century

Elegant and ornate scalloped baroque salver chased along wide rim with fruit clusters of pomegranates, grapes and pears alternating between shell-framed gilt Biblical narrative reliefs. Similarly, in cabbage-leaf center, additional scroll-patterning surrounds a larger, rectangular Biblical scene. With additional large gilt Star-of-David. Hanging element on reverse. Marked. Diam: 19.75 inches.

The grandeur of this piece in both heft and visual content was likely a presentation gift. A triumphant Biblical narrative of the early history of the Jewish People is reflected in the high-relief vignettes of the almost theatrical Baroque nature of the design. Reminiscent of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise” (1425-52) located on the eastern portal of the Florence Baptistery in Italy, which follows a similar perspective and schema of relief panels. Our example depicts significant events mostly in the life of Moses: 1. Moses rescued from the Nile River by Pharoah’s daughter. 2. God appearing to Moses at the Burning Bush. 3. Moses imploring Pharoah to free the Jews from Egypt. 4. Moses bearing the Decalogue within the desert encampment. 5. Moses viewing the Land he will not enter shortly before his death. 6. The walled city of Jerusalem with Solomon’s Temple styled in 15th-century architecture. 7. The central panel features Kind David playing his harp, with the Book of Psalms alongside.