Plate 1595 - 1605

This plate was made by the Patanazzi family in Italy, sometime between 1575 and 1625, using majolica. Heraldry is a language of symbols, each element carrying layers of meaning tied to family history, status, and aspiration. At its center, the escutcheon, blazoned with stripes, speaks to lineage and allegiance. This potent emblem is flanked by winged figures; they are creatures of myth, drawing from ancient wells of collective memory. The plate's iconography stretches back through the corridors of time. Consider the winged figures, recalling ancient Greek depictions of sirens. These figures echo through medieval bestiaries and Renaissance emblems, shifting in meaning, yet retaining the primal allure and danger of the unknown. It is through such resurfacings that we grasp how deeply these images resonate within our shared cultural psyche.