Painted with a scene after an engraving by Aegidius Sadeler illustrating ‘The History of Saul and David’; depicting the latter grieving over the death of Saul.
The border carries the arms of Dura of Naples disposed amongst birds, putti and scrolling foliage.
The palette includes manganese, cobalt blue, sage green and yellow ochre, 54.5cm.
Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725-1793), who travelled to Italy on two occasions, was very much drawn to the subject matter and colours of Italian majolica and purchased a considerable number of pieces.
The mediaeval hill town of Castelli in the Abruzzo has long been known for its majolica wares.
They were particularly popular with the English nobility and other Grand Tourists from the 16th to the 18th Centuries and are still made in the town to this day.
The 1804 Burghley Inventory records: ‘No.44 West Dressing room…Ornamental China…2 Delph dishes in black frames.’
The 1867 Burghley Inventory is more specific: ‘The Black and Yellow Bed Chamber…A pair of majolica plates in black frames.’
