a French dessert "trencher"

[ppfuf]

I was wandering around on Google this afternoon, and came across a small French plate that may serve the same purpose as the English Dessert Trenchers (i.e., a small plate for individual use in a banquette setting).

It is an enameled plate from c. 1575, but the most interesting part is that it is made from the same January print as several sets of trenchers (c. 1620). Here's a link to the print (pictured) in the British museum. Here's another link to the hand-colored print pasted to a wooden disc, also in the British museum.  

eta: See also November plate at the Harvard Art Museum (Fogg Museum). Attributed to Pierre Reymond, Plate depicting The Harvest/ November from a set of the months, 1550-1570

Comments

Ooooh.

[gormflaith.livejournal.com]

Painted enamel?

Re: Ooooh.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

I don't know any more than is on the webpage. :D We could write the curators. I was thinking about that anyway, because I'd like to know how they came up with the date.

Re: Ooooh.

[gormflaith.livejournal.com]

WooHoo!

Re: Ooooh.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

A little searching on the website and I found the emails of both curators for that exhibit, so I wrote, we'll see if they respond. ::Fingers crossed::
In good news, I've got an appt to see the set at Princeton this Christmas break.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Interesting.

[ppfuf.livejournal.com]

The curators wrote back to MJ, and promised to change their date to match the Crispin de Passe print (c. 1589-1599), so that's a win at least.

The design is a copy of the January print from the "Labours of the Months" engraved by Crispin de Passe these were engraved at some unknown date between 1589 and 1599 so clearly your plate cannot be as early as "c.1575" -- see Ilja Veldman, _Crispijn de Passe and His Progeny, 1564-1670: A Century of Print Production_ (Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Publishers, 2001), pp 121 (There's a copy at Stanford's Art & Architecture NE670 .P2 V452 2001)