The catalogue showing the 16th century brass parade plate that our correspondent is trying to trace.
This September the City museum of Šibenik is preparing the first comprehensive exhibition of his work and it would be a triumph to include some missing pieces in his small opus. His signed brass engraved dishes and ewers are in the collections of the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Bargello Museum in Florence, the Museo Correr in Venice and the City museum in Šibenik.
The dish we are searching for is known only from a Sotheby’s sale catalogue on the 17th of July 1936, lot 70. From the description and illustration we can see that it is signed: ORATIO FORTEZZA DA SEBENICO FECE on a scroll of a cartouche above the medallion with two linked shields. In one is the arms of the well-known patrician Venetian family Michiel (or Michiele) and in the other a Doge’s ceremonial hat. It is entirely engraved with portraits of Roman emperors and scenes from Roman history and mythology on a ground of scrolling strapwork and military trophies. The diameter is 18 ½ inches.
It is possible that there is another dish which is also Fortezza’s work. It was offered to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1951, prior to the sale of the Cook Collection but the offer was not taken up. We do not have an image, but this dish is also engraved with Roman battles and scrolling strapwork. We would also like to track this down.
Any information about these missing Fortezza plates would be gratefully received. Please let me know by email at this address: floratv.hvar@gmail.com
Flora Turner-Vueti
Art historian and curator
