16th century majolica plaque dated and signed Urbino - Lot 46

16th century majolica plaque dated and signed Urbino Dated 1536, signed FXR for Francesco Xanto Avelli, label for 56 / BUREAU / BLAY C3 / Urbino Polychrome decoration in full depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds in a landscape with numerous figures and a star in the sky, in front of a dwelling with stables, the lower part inscribed on a pale blue background Vergine" Sacra "gloriofa", e, "eterna" Che "gia" "portafti" "nel" "tur" "ve'tre" "fa'to" Quel "che" la terra, "e'l" mare, "e'l" ciel "governa, restored, grooves dug on reverse L.: 30.5 x 27.5 cm. Provenance : Former Henri Blay collection (1861-1920). Francesco Xanto Avelli (c. 1487-c. 1542): Born in Veneto, he spent his entire career in Urbino, from at least 1530 onwards. From the very start of his career, he signed and dated his works, which made him famous for more than just the high quality of his painting; many of his pieces are now part of major collections and international institutions. Decorating numerous service pieces with mythological, historical or religious subjects, he also decorated a series of plaques. Another plate with the same subject, from the same engraving, dated 1537, slightly larger, but with cherubs in clouds instead of the star, is in the collections of the Pesaro Ceramics Museum (INV. IP 4337). For an illustration of Caraglio's engraving after Le Parmesan, which inspired this composition, see Timothy Wilson, Italian" "maiolica of the Renaissance, Milan, 1996, p.214. For another plate in the collections of the British Museum, London (Inv. PGE 1906, 12-10,1), depicting Simon before Priam, attributed to Xanto Avelli and dated by the author to circa 1536, comprising a similar structure with a long inscribed band at the bottom, see by J.V.G. Mallet, Xanto, "Pottery"-Painter, Poet, Man of the "Italian" Renaissance, London, 2007, p.153.