Ref.14204
Albert ANKER (painter), Théodore DECK (ceramist), Ornamental Dish “Cleopatra”, 1869

This ornamental dish, adorned with a design inspired by Egyptian art and executed in 1869, is the result of the long-term collaboration between Albert Anker and Théodore Deck. The Swiss painter Albert Anker (1831-1910) joined the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1855. He collaborated with Théodore Deck between 1866 and 1892 and excelled in the genre of historical portraiture, to which this work is closely related. Théodore Deck initially trained in stove manufacturing. When he established his own business in Paris in 1858, he specialized in stove coverings before expanding into ceramics due to his growing success. The workshop produced numerous plates, sometimes in collaboration with renowned painters, including Edmond Lachenal. Deck gradually perfected his technique and enjoyed significant acclaim at the many World’s Fairs in which he participated. In 1878, he was made an Officer of the Legion of Honor. He directed the Sèvres porcelain manufactory from 1887 until his death in 1891. This plate is decorated with the portrait of a woman bearing the attributes of ancient Egyptian nobility: she wears a vulture headdress, a symbol of the goddess Nekhbet, the tutelary figure of Upper Egypt and protector of the pharaohs, along with a broad usekh collar. The figure represents the famous Egyptian queen Cleopatra, depicted as on one of the bas-reliefs in the Temple of Hathor at Dendera (50-55 B.C.E.). The rim of the dish also features an Egypt-inspired style, with four scenes drawn from temple and tomb art interspersed with hieroglyphic inscriptions. Through its theme and adopted style, this plate reflects the passion for ancient Egypt that swept through the 19th century. The two artists produced several versions of this plate: one is housed in the Gustav-Lübcke Museum in Hamm, Germany; a second in the Kunstmuseum in Bern, Switzerland; and a third, with a slightly different border, in the Théodore Deck and Florival Museum in Guebwiller, France. Our ornamental plate can also be compared to an Assyrian-Inspired Dish created by the same artists a year later, now preserved in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. For Albert Anker and Théodore Deck, Egyptomania drew on precise archaeological sources, seamlessly integrated into a harmonious contemporary design.