Plate from the Limoges workshop of the 19th century

Dish from the Limoges workshop of the 19th century.
"The Judgement of Paris".
Copper with cloisonné enamel.
It has some chipping.
Measurements: 20.5 cm (diameter).
Copper plate with blue and sepia enamels "in grisaille" highlighted in gilt, which have their repercussion in the wing of the plate, ornamented with medallions that shelter portraits in their interior, putti, dogs, fruits of abundance and tendrils. The Judgement of Paris fills the bottom of the dish, while the back is embellished with a portrait of a soldier in profile, surrounded by garlands, star motifs, scrolls and tendrils.
The artist illustrates a theme taken from classical mythology: the Judgement of Paris, where Paris, son of the King of Troy, chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful of the goddesses, receiving as a reward the love of Helen and thus initiating the long Trojan War narrated in the Iliad.
Limoges enamelling has a long tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, specifically to the last painting of the 12th century. It was the most important enamel workshop in France, and owed its success in particular to its production of enamel-decorated objects in addition to the usual enamelled plates. Its medieval pieces had their own characteristics, such as a very shallow background dragging or a very fine partitioning for details, as well as an innovative chromatism that included new tones such as light blue-grey or white.