Casgliadau Arlein

Maiolica plate, standing on a shallow foot rim, with cushion-moulded sides and wide flanged rim sloping gently towards shallow cavetto. In the cavetto a divided shield bearing a double-headed eagle, its dexter half black with an ochre crest(?) on a yellow field, its sinister half white and crowned on an ochre field beneath a yellow band bearing two fleurs-de-lys. The shield on a blue ground, and flanked by two 'G's and dark blue loops; all within bead-and-reel and white zig-zag borders on a blue ground. The rim decorated with arabesques incorporating cherub heads, fish and acanthus leaves, and edged with a bead-and-reel border; painted on a greyish-blue 'berettino' glaze. The reverse has alternating floral and zig-zag motifs in cobalt blue.