{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O276610"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O276610/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH2608/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH2608/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH2608","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O276610/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O276610","accessionNumber":"C.488-1921","objectType":"Plate","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This plate, painted in brightly-coloured enamels towards the end of the sixteenth century, would have been made to be one of a set. Each plate was decorated with a separate scene. Together they illustrated episodes from the story of Joseph as told in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. The enamelling workshop, which signed its products 'I.C.' for 'Jean Court', was fairly faithful to the prints it used as design sources. This scene of Joseph interpreting Pharoah's dreams accurately, for which he was promoted to be second-in-command, follows a woodcut by Bernard Salomon from a book called 'Quadrins Historiques de la  Bible' first published in 1553. As the book was reprinted several times in subsequent years, the date the enamelled plate was made cannot be precisely established on the grounds of its source design alone. The decorative style and use of translucent enamels over foils suggest a date of 1575-1600 is most likely.\r\n\r\nThis plate was bequeathed to the Museum by David Martin Currie (born Scotland, 1837). As a partner in his family's successful shipping company, he was able to amass an impressive art collection, much of which he lent to the Museum for display from 1887 onwards. Following his death in 1920, he bequeathed all his loans to the V&amp;A's permanent collections. \n\n\r\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"Enamelled plate with shallow well painted in colours on a dark ground with an episode from the Biblical account of Joseph as told in the Book of Genesis, chapter 41. The scene shown relates specifically to verses 25-43. Joseph, filled with divine wisdom, interprets the dreams of Pharoah after all others have failed to do so. Following seven good years, seven further years of famine are to come, which Joseph advises Pharoah to prepare for by reserving a fifth of each abundant harvest to enable Egypt to survive the lean times. Impressed with Joseph's God-given discernment and wise advice, Pharoah promotes him to the supremely powerful position of <i>Tjati</i> (i.e. Vizier), Pharaoh's second-in-command.\r\n\r\nThe scene derives from a woodcut by Bernard Salomon printed in Claude Paradin's 'Quadrins Historiques de la Bible' first published in Lyons by Jean de Tournes in 1553. Pharoah, with turban and white beard, is shown seated to the right of the scene. HIs elaborate throne has a scrolled top to the back and carved sphinx supporting the seat. His footrest is a blue tasselled cushion. In his right hand he bears a golden sceptre, symbol of his power, the top tilted towards Joseph who stands before him interpreting Pharoah's dreams. A number of officials and counsellors stand to left and right. In the foreground is a white dog which is the enameller's addition to scene which is otherwise closely based on the source print, as is a city in the distance. Classical architecture behind the officials on the left indicates the palatial setting. Immediately outside the palace are several cows, reflecting the content of Pharoah's first dream.\n\nThe well of the plate is edged with gilded interlaced foliate ornament while the border is decorated with grotesques (including faces swathed in headdresses, faces with abnormally large ears, and armless demi-figures with serpentine tails) and thickly-drawn two-handled turquoise vases. The rim is painted white. The back of the plate is decorated with a border of gilded leaves and grisaille strapwork between which are term figures and grotesque flesh-coloured faces. The strapwork also bears the initials 'I.C.' in black. Features such as the faces in headdresses on the front border and the formal interlaced gilded decoration derive from 'Moresque' ornament  for goldsmiths' work such as that designed by Peter Flötner in Nuremberg and Bathazar van den Bos in Antwerp.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"de Court, Jean","id":"A18331"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"or workshop"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"copper","id":"AAT11020"}],"techniques":[{"text":"enamelled","id":"x30139"},{"text":"gilded","id":"AAT53789"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Copper, painted in coloured enamels and gilded and with coloured translucent enamels over foils.","categories":[{"text":"Enamels","id":"THES48876"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2006AH2608"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"013","id":"THES399701"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Plate","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Limoges","id":"x32604"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1575 - 1600","earliest":"1570-01-01","latest":"1600-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"8424-1863","id":"O166379"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"8425-1863","id":"O166376"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"C.2445-1910","id":"O276612"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by D. M. Currie","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"2.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"20.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Measured"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'·G·XLI', gilded","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In the sky area, top front of dish, the G separated from the XLI by a tree."},{"content":"'I.C.', painted in black","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On back of plate"},{"content":"'Earl of Effingham, May 1884', inscribed on label","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On back of plate."}],"objectHistory":"Purchased by Mr. David M. Currie (lot 60) for £154.5s. from the enamel collection of W. J. Goode, Esq. (formerly of Tudor House, Hampstead, London) which was sold at Christie's, London, 5th July 1894. There described as being from the Earl of Effingham's Collection. The label on the object is inscribed with the date May 1884. Henry Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham died in 1889. \n\nThe plate was bequeathed to the V&amp;A by Mr. David Martin Currie (1837-1920), with 5 other Limoges painted enamel plates and a pair of plaques. These were among many artworks lent to the museum for display from 1887. Born in Belfast, he left to work in his parents’ native Scotland at the age of about 14. After joining his brother Alexander at a sugar refinery in Greenock, west of Glasgow, he moved to the office of Messrs. Findlay, Campbell &amp; Co., East India Merchants. During the Crimean War, he served with the Cunard Line, taking troops to the front line. He later became a partner of his brother Sir Donald’s shipping company which founded the Castle Line to Calcutta (later the Castle Shipping Co., The Castle Mail Packets Co. Ltd., and finally The Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co., Ltd.). The head office transferred with David from Liverpool to London in 1862. David retired from the business in London in 1912. A very wealthy man, he acquired most of his works of art in Europe, mainly Paris where he was well-known among art collectors. He frequented sale rooms, especially Christie’s auction house and lived in the Paddington and then Kensington areas of London. His large bequest to the Museum included bronze plaquettes and statuettes; arms, armour and other metalwork; and English and French porcelain.\n\nThe identity of the master enameller variously signing his work 'Jean Court', 'Jean de Court', 'Jean Court dit Vigier', or by the initials 'I.C.', 'IDC' and 'ICDV' has caused confusion for many years. Some hold him to be one and the same man while archival sources indicate that there may have been two or even three separate enamellers working in Limoges with variations of this name during the second half of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Whether they all collaborated in one single workshop founded by Jean Court dit Vigier is unclear. This enameller, active ca. 1555-85, carried out technically proficient work which was aesthetically precise and attractive and included polychrome portrait masterpieces for the court in Paris. The name Vigier indicates that he was a magistrate representing the   viscount of Limousin in Limoges. He has been equated with the artist who became court painter to Charles IX, the painter to Charles Bourbon, Prince de la Roche-sur-Yon in 1553 and to the widowed Mary, Queen of Scots, 1562-67. The poet Jacques Blanchon praised this painter in an ode of 1583. While at court in Paris, other work could have been produced by his workshop such as the body of accomplished grisaille work in a highly decorative Mannerist style. His workshop could also have been continued after his death. Polychrome plates usually signed 'I.C.' such as those from the Joseph series are thought to have been produced towards the end of the sixteenth century on stylistic grounds. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Plate, painted in enamels on copper and gilded with a scene from the Biblical story of Joseph, Jean de Court or workshop, Limoges, France, ca. 1575-1600.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Sophie Baratte, Les Emaux peints de Limoges, Paris, Musee du Louvre, 2000"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Suzanne Higgott, The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Glass and Limoges Painted Enamels, 2011"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Clare Vincent, Painted Enamels, in 'The Robert Lehman Collection: XV Decorative Arts', The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2012"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Maryvonne Beyssi-Cassan, Le métier d’émailleur à Limoges, XVIe-XVIIe siècle, Limoges, 2006 \r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"'Catalogue of a Collection of European Enamels from the Earliest date to the End of the XVII. Century', Burlington Fine Arts Club, London, 1897"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Neumann, Nicolas eds. <u>Lyon Renaissance: Arts et Humanisme</u>. Somogy éditions d’art: Paris, 2015. ISBN 9782757209912."}],"production":"Salomon's print series telling the story of Joseph lent itself well to translating into decoration for individual enamelled plates. These plates could then be sold as a set, most likely of twelve. At least sixteen possible scenes were used implying that each set would include the standard key episodes but that there was some latitude in making up the remainder of the set from a choice of supplementary scenes. No complete set is known to be extant but there are examples of Joseph plates from the Jean de Court workshop in many public collections such as the Waddesdon Bequest at the British Museum; the Wallace Collection; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Louvre Museum, Paris; The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig; the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; the St. Louis Art Museum; and a grisaille version in the Taft Museum, Cincinnati. The Salomon woodcuts also inspired Joseph scenes used on other object types such as enamelled caskets.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"Pharoah's Dream","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Joseph the Patriarch","id":"N616"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cows","id":"x30280"},{"text":"dog","id":"x30186"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["C.488-1921"],"accessionNumberNum":"488","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":1921,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JE5694"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-03","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}