Ceramic bowl on pedestal with white slip and cobalt-blue dec - Lot 34

Ceramic bowl on pedestal with white slip and cobalt-blue decoration. A circle underlines the background, and around it, inscriptions in Gothic letters ave ma ria (Ave Maria). Manises, second third of the 15th century H. 6.2 cm - D. 14.5 cm (slight restorations, wear) This bowl is similar to an earthenware group with a metallic lustre, often combining decorative motifs from the Islamic tradition with inscriptions from the Christian world. Similar inscriptions on a flores de punto background can be seen on a dish featuring a deer in the Musée du Louvre collection (inv. OA 9001, fig.a). A primitive Spanish painting of the Last Supper, circa 1435-1445, attributed to Pere Teixidor and now in the Musée de Solsona (Province of Lleida, Catalonia), shows the likely monastic use of this type of tableware. The Last Supper is depicted in the image of a monastery meal, rich in particularly realistic detail, as can be seen in a set of bowls and plates from the Ave Maria de Manisès series (fig. b).