PLATE in polychrome painted enamel with gold highlights... Lot 46

PLATE in polychrome painted enamel with gold highlights representing Christ with reed in bust, salmon counter-enamel. Jesus, his wrists bound in front of him, is wearing the purple mantle, his left hand holding the reed branch; turned three-quarters to the left, his head crowned with thorns is surrounded by a radiant nimbus; beautiful face with upper eyelids underlined with a black line, long straight nose and fleshy lower lip; blue background strewn with tears and framed with a border; monogram C.N. in the lower left corner. Limoges, Couly Nouailher, circa 1545 Height: 17.2 cm - Width: 13.5 cm (some restorations notably on the right elbow and the lower left corner) There were at least two enamel painters called Coli or Couli (Nicolas) Noailher or Nouailher in the 16th century in Limoges. The best known of them signed numerous works and dated about ten of them from 1539 to 1545. One can clearly recognize his style here with the long straight nose and almond-shaped eyes made up with a long black line as defined by Monique Blanc. Works consulted: Exhibition Limoges 1992, Enamel Treasures, Musée municipal de l'Evêché, cat. p 130; S. Baratte, Les émaux peints de Limoges, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2000, pp 62-73; M. Blanc, Émaux peints de Limoges - XVe - XVIIIe siècles, La collection du musée des Arts-décoratifs, Paris, 2011, cat.30