Alligator and Lizard Palissy Majolica Plate

This small circular wall platter is modeled in the Portuguese Palissy tradition with three reptiles and a worm rendered in high relief on a densely textured mossy ground. The central composition is arranged naturalistically on an extruded green moss ground, characteristic of the Caldas da Rainha workshops. The border is glazed in deep mottled brown. The reverse is unglazed cream earthenware bearing the impressed maker's mark MAFRA / CALDAO / PORTUGAL with a hanging wire fitted to the foot rim.

Manuel Cipriano Gomes Mafra pioneered a distinctive style of Portuguese Palissy ware featuring a characteristic usage of moss as a decorative bed for animals. A style quickly adopted by other Portuguese manufacturers and now held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The inclusion of "Portugal" in the mark dates this piece to post-1891 export production made in the final years of the workshop before Mafra's death in 1905.

Good condition overall. Minor glaze wear consistent with age and use. Hanging wire to reverse is a period addition. No chips or repairs visible.

Period:  Circa 1891–1905

Provenance:  Portugal

Materials:  Lead-glazed earthenware 

Manufacturer:  Caldas da Rainha, Portugal

Dimensions:  16D x 5H cm | 6.2D x 2H in