Dish with snake on marbled background, Suiveurs de Palissy, 18th century, glazed ceramic, France

Surrounded by a frieze alternating grotesque motifs, satyrs, and fleur-de-lys, this serpent on a brown and blue marbled background is inspired by the naturalistic compositions of Bernard Palissy. This dish, unsigned, belongs to the tradition of the Suiveurs de Palissy, artists who imitated the Renaissance master. The motifs of the frieze also reflect the 18th-century fascination with the Renaissance.