Any info appreciated

Hey all,
I have had this plate for a long time, my Mum picked it up at a jumble sale when I was still a kid.
It is damaged but I love it.
I have tried to find similar but unsuccessfully.
I think possibly Hindu god/Indian deities? (Shiva, Shesha Naga, Vishnu, Manasa???)
I think quails?
I think terracotta?
Any info anyone can provide on what, where, when...would be truly appreciated.
Cheers
Cat

I can't upload the images I have, they are too big, hopefully these links to my Dropbox work -

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4s8ote3w5gertwr/IMG_20190501_114220.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gx2dgox8num0egy/IMG_20190329_190141293.jpg?dl=0

 

Hi Cat!

If you're photos are on your phone, email to yourself and choose Medium.

A photo of the bottom of the plate will be necessary.

Oh, btw, choose Full Image rather than thumbnail when you post photos.

 

Thank you Judy

 

You're welcome Cat!

 

@Any Jewelry may have some opinion!

 

Thank you Kyra, I'll suss out the posting of images in future posts, now Judy has been kind enough to tell me how to.
Cheers

 

What a beautiful plate. Definitely seems to have some age to it.

That's all I got. Wait for others.

 

having been a birder in earlier years, I focused on the species, and know 'quails' universally have topknots... so...

the plate images look like geese to me... so I'm in the anti-swan camp. The 'gods' are listed above for which the goose is a passage vehicle...
Gayatri is a woman, as is Saraswati, and since that's a topless guy in the pic, not those goddesses...
Brahma is an old dude apparently... So I'm going with Vishvakarma...


he's got the goose here too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishvakarman

And he's being prayed to and is wearing Mardi Gras beads, so must be a really cool dude... "used as an epithet for any supreme god[6] and as an attribute of Indra and the Sun."

Best I can do, but I think its a decent start.

 

The four holes at the compass points suggest to me it was meant for hanging, but not necessarily 'tourist', i.e., shrine decoration. I've found listings online for what are basically round trays called a Hindu "travel" or "portable shrine." That might be a stretch, since I know zilch about Hinduism and its practices to confirm a use. Just educated (barely) guesses.

It has an old feel to it too. very nice.

Need to tag a translator too.

 

AWESOME Dawnno thank you so much, getting somewsome with Vishvakama & his geese

 

again, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and I'm about to explode:

The glaze on the back is nothing like the painting (since there are paint chips not part of the terracotta and not glazed into the piece, and paint strokes go over the edges to the back) on the front. So the painting was 'added' not fired into the plate. And it's very intricate, i.e., lot of work went into it. According to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_in_the_Indian_subcontinent
"glazed pottery is only practiced in part of the country"
This terracotta site seems more knowledgable:
https://www.craftsvilla.com/blog/terracotta-pottery-history-art/
saying "Gujarat is known for its spectacular hand-painted clay products, such as beautiful clay animals and home décor items using the potter’s wheel to perfection, painted with catchy colours and geometric patterns."

Then we have this book excerpt "Hinduism and the Religious Arts" which, in short, says, Gujarat was the only place that the kilns were hot enough to fire to temps for glazing... and so they were special, and THEN hand painted...



So, the hand painting, the unique design, the glaze, seem to point to Gujurat.

Beware: This might just be a 'wild goose' chase!!!!

 

Great search and infos, @Dawnno

 

Wow! That is fascinating Dawnno, you have found far more than I have.
I'm off to read the links
My Mum wouldn't sell it and as a child I remember our insurance man (who visited weekly) offering my Mum 2 shillings for it which would be a few quid (dollars) nowadays.
Thanks for all your fruitful research & even if it's a wild goose chase... it's taking me on a journey ✌

 

WELCOME Cat !!! ... Joy.

 

Welcome Cat. That is a gorgeous plate, and it looks like it has some age.
We would need an expert on Indian ceramics to pinpoint the style and region, but I don't know of anyone on the forum. Identification of the gentleman on the snake is easier, and I will explain that below.
First a bit about the glazed ceramics.
Glazed ceramics were originally only made in the regions that had been under Mughal rule, which is quite a chunk of the country. Gujarat is one of the states that was under Mughal rule, but by no means the only one. In much of the north, and in major cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, glazed ceramics are manufactured.
Over the last century or so the custom of glazing ceramics has spread to many other parts of the country as well.

I think it will have to be the birders v the Naga fans.
The man is sitting on a cobra with multiples heads, so Vishnu. The cobra is a Naga, or heavenly snake (or dragon in East Asia). Whenever Vishnu needs a proper rest, he sits or lies down on a seven-headed Naga called Shesha. In this case he is surrounded by heavenly nymphs.
Shesha is closely associated with creation. When Shesha stretches out, creation follows, when he coils, creation stops for a while. So there is a link with Vishvakarma and his geese.
In between the geese, and around the Vishnu scene, there are lotuses, symbols of spirituality and purity.
I don't think this was made as a portable shrine. Hindu portable shrines are little cabinets or miniature temples. The deities in Hindu portable shrines need to be wrapped up separately for travel.

 

The script on the back is Devanagari, so certainly Indian. Got any local friendlt Indian restaurants? I'd be tempted to get an older person from the sub continent to take a look, see what they think of the imagery.

 

And I find that my appreciation for the object quintuples... i.e., a bad habit translating to 'I love it!' which is why my living room can't be lived in with all the stuff. that plate is beautiful.

(ok, I AM NOT a hoarder -- a 'museum' -- a well organized collection of like kind items from various cultures... the tours are free. My kids don't bring friends over anymore b/c of that... and if they do, true story, one kid said about the Inuit stuff, "I feel right at home" ... now she's my son's prom date, but not b/c of that... the circle of life: Antiques beget more Antiques.) IT's FUN.

 

Here is some more info on Indian ceramics, but nothing like your beautiful plate:
https://www.veniceclayartists.com/tag/indian-pottery/