Pierre Reymond (1513-1584) French, Limoges, 1575

inscribed: EXODE.XXXII.

Overall the condition of the bowl is good with wear and some minor dirt to the surface consistent with age. The gilding is worn around the edges of the bowl and the stem of the base. The enamel has worn down to the copper on the edge of the bowl to the left side of the scene and the underside of the base. There are two small restorations using paint, a small area to the lower edge of the base just to the left of the monogram and an area on the outside of the bowl under the open-mouthed mask on the side of the altar in the scene on the base. Under UV light some areas on the edge of the bowl appear to be restored as well. A film, possibly a varnish, is flaking from the edge of the bowl to the right of the scene. The foot was reattached. There is some stable craquelure to the white enamel on the underside of the tazza consistent with the material. There are also some traces of glue from on old label visible on the underside.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Pierre Reymond and his workshop had the most prolific output of all the 16th-century enamelers, making plaques, plates, vessels and candlesticks with religious, mythological and allegorical subjects. Reymond successfully met the great demand for enamels by simplifying his workshop's production. This involved repeating fashionable decorative patterns -such as the egg and dart motif along the upper edge of the present tazza, cartouches with masks as seen on the underside of the bowl, and, perhaps most recognisably, the inverted S pattern in red enamel along the base- but also relying on graphic sources for the scenes. The representation of Aaron's feast in honour of the Golden Calf, which includes Moses on the mountain on the top right, is taken from the Quadrins historiques de la Bible by Bernard Salomon. The scene is cleverly combined to form a narrative with the Worshiping of the Calf on the base. The whole is beautifully enamelled in grisaille by ways of a technique known as enlevage: a layer of white enamel is applied on a dark ground and partly scratched away to create the grey areas and enliven the surface. Dark cross-hatching, red enamel, flesh tones, and gilding complete the decoration. Tazze by Reymond with a nigh identical bowls are in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. OA 975) and the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum in Brunswick (Lim 75) and dated to 1569 and 1571 respectively.

RELATED LITERATURE
S. Baratte, Les émaux peints de Limoges, cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2000, pp. 195-196; I. Müsch, Maleremails des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts aus Limoges, cat. Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Brunswick, 2002, pp. 197-199, no. 96