Large Royal Vienna porcelain charger with Shakespearean scene

The porcelain charger features a beautiful painting of a scene from Othello, the tragedy by William Shakespeare. The painting has been signed by the artist, ‘E. Lattermann’, in the lower left corner. The image is based on a famous work by the French Orientalist painter, Edouard Frederic Wilhelm Richter. Titled ‘Othello’, this painting was exhibited in Munich and at the Paris Salon of 1881. The scene depicts Othello justifying his marriage to Desdemona to the senate and duke, seated before him. Desdemona kneels beside Othello and appeals to her father, Brabanzio, who holds his head in his hand in desperation, and leans on a table for support. The scene takes place in the interior of a grand palace.

This painting is set within an octagonal gold and red border, which is finely decorated with gilt foliate motifs and beading. Beyond this, the charger is gilt and ornamented with red diamonds and medallions, which are overlaid with gilt floral motifs and flanked by colourful scrolled acanthus leaves. The charger's outer edge is articulated by a parcel gilt red border. The charger is offset against a dark backdrop and placed within a finely carved giltwood frame.

The back of the charger features the beehive mark of the Royal Vienna Porcelain Manufactory. Established in 1718, the factory specialised in the production of hard-paste porcelain goods. These fashionable, high-quality items were popular with European royalty and nobility.