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- This plate is painted over the upper surface with a biblical subject from the Old Testament, Joseph’s brothers lowering him into the pit (shown here as a well). At the centre, Joseph is being lowered into the well with ropes held by two of his brothers. Six more of Joseph’s brothers are on the right (two visible only by their hair) and another three on the left, one of whom holds Joseph’s ornamental tunic. The group is framed by single trees. In the background beyond a stretch of water there is a wooded island with a few buildings on it. Centrally placed in the sky is a coat of arms with a phoenix rising from the ashes as it bites itself, described heraldically as ‘or, a phoenix vulning itself proper’ (a naturally coloured phoenix wounding itself by biting its breast, on a gold background). The shield of arms is surmounted by a close-helmet in profile with, as a crest, ‘a phoenix of the arms’. The outer rim edge is yellow. The colours are blue, tan, orange, yellow, manganese purple, green, turquoise, black, grey, and opaque white. The underside is glazed white with some turquoise staining. It is painted with three yellow concentric circles, two around the rim, and one around the base. There is an inscription in blue at the centre which translates, ‘His brothers cast Joseph down and afterwards sold him’ (see Marks/Inscriptions).
The plate is an example of ‘istoriato’ maiolica, in which a figurative scene is painted over an entire surface. The development of this type of decoration has been interpreted as reflecting pottery painters’ artistic and social aspirations.
The plate illustrates an early episode from the biblical story of Joseph, which is told in the Old Testament book of ‘Genesis’ (37–50). The narrative begins in Canaan, in the ancient Near East. Joseph’s ten older brothers resented him because he was his father Jacob’s favourite, and also because he told them of his dreams, which suggested that his family would be subservient to Joseph. When his brothers saw him coming to meet them as they tended the family’s flocks, they plotted to kill him. Reuben, the oldest brother, persuaded them instead to strip Joseph of the ornamental tunic that their father had given him and cast him into a dry pit. Secretly, Reuben intended to return Joseph to Jacob. The dramatic incident depicted here is described in ‘Genesis’ 37: 23–4: ‘When Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the ornamented tunic that he was wearing, and took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.’
From the 1530s, inexpensive illustrated bibles, some of them in the vernacular, provided iconographic sources for maiolica painters. Biblical subjects began to be depicted more frequently, though they never achieved the popularity of subjects from Classical mythology and history. Following the Council of Trent, a series of meetings held by the Roman Catholic Church between 1545 and 1563 at Trento, in northern Italy, to clarify and revitalise doctrine, Catholic observance was reanimated. This led to an increase in the depiction of biblical subjects on maiolica. Perhaps surprisingly, Old Testament subjects were depicted in considerably greater number than those from the New Testament. The scene on this plate is after a woodcut by Sebald Beham (1500–1550) in the ‘Biblisch Historien’, which was first published in Frankfurt in 1533. During the sixteenth century, seven further editions of this bible were printed, under various titles, the last dated edition being published in 1557. The painter of this plate has followed Beham in depicting the pit as a well.
From the pit, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, and through the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams he came to enjoy high status there, with responsibility for storing enough food to enable the population to survive the seven-year famine that he had predicted. During the famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy grain. After a series of anguished familial trials and tribulations, during which Joseph's provision of food enabled the family's survival, they were reconciled and the whole family settled in Egypt.
In the sixteenth century the story of Joseph had both religious and secular resonance. In Christianity, Joseph was seen as prefiguring Christ, who was sold into captivity by Judas and through his Crucifixion and Resurrection brought redemption to mankind. Some Renaissance rulers identified themselves with Joseph, who was perceived as epitomising virtuous leadership, due to his loyalty, prudence and magnanimity.
The drama and pathos of the story of Joseph, together with the availability of printed iconographic sources, made it an excellent narrative series for illustration on serial items, such as plates and other tableware. It proved popular on maiolica (see Wallace Collection C164) and for the decoration of painted enamels made in sixteenth-century Limoges in France (see Wallace Collection C592 and C593). The coat of arms on this plate has not been identified, but it has been suggested that it is likely to be for an owner from Germany or Flanders. It occurs on another plate and two flasks that are likely to be from the same service. They are painted with Old Testament scenes, but do not illustrate the story of Joseph. The four pieces with this coat of arms were probably made in the same workshop in Urbino or the Urbino district, but they are not necessarily by the same hand. Urbino, a small but prestigious town in the Marche region of Italy, was the ducal capital of the dukes of Urbino and the foremost maiolica-producing town in Renaissance Italy. It was renowned for ‘istoriato’ maiolica. In the mid-sixteenth century maiolica production was prolific in the Duchy of Urbino.
- This plate is painted over the upper surface with a biblical subject from the Old Testament, Joseph’s brothers lowering him into the pit (shown here as a well). At the centre, Joseph is being lowered into the well with ropes held by two of his brothers. Six more of Joseph’s brothers are on the right (two visible only by their hair) and another three on the left, one of whom holds Joseph’s ornamental tunic. The group is framed by single trees. In the background beyond a stretch of water there is a wooded island with a few buildings on it. Centrally placed in the sky is a coat of arms with a phoenix rising from the ashes as it bites itself, described heraldically as ‘or, a phoenix vulning itself proper’ (a naturally coloured phoenix wounding itself by biting its breast, on a gold background). The shield of arms is surmounted by a close-helmet in profile with, as a crest, ‘a phoenix of the arms’. The outer rim edge is yellow. The colours are blue, tan, orange, yellow, manganese purple, green, turquoise, black, grey, and opaque white. The underside is glazed white with some turquoise staining. It is painted with three yellow concentric circles, two around the rim, and one around the base. There is an inscription in blue at the centre which translates, ‘His brothers cast Joseph down and afterwards sold him’ (see Marks/Inscriptions).