Istoriato plate - Mucius Scaevola in front of the king Porsenna

The shallow bowl with narrow splayed rim with a yellow border stands on a short, rimmed base. The whole surface dedicated to the scene of King Porsenna and Mucius Scaevola /Livy: The History of the Romans from the Foundation of the City 11(12)/. In the centre is a vase on a log, with flames leaping from it Mucius holds his right hand in the flames. To the left is Porsenna, King of Clusium, accompanied by soldiers. He points to Mucius with his right hand. The background shows a town in a rocky landscape overlooking a river. In the upper centre is a coat of arms: a Baroque escutcheon, per pale, appears at the top of it centred. The first quarter is again per pale, parted into an azure half with a yellow bend and another azure, half tierced in yellow bend sinister with black eagle-heads (?). The second azure quarter shows a griffin rampant on a brown mount. Two crossed white halberds charge the fourth quarter, against an azure tincture. Painted in black, grey, manganese, blue, green, ochre, orange, yellow and white. The reverse has two yellow stripes on an ivory base, decorating the rim and one yellow stripe decorating the base. The base bears a blue inscription: Mutius manu / sucineds. The original owners and the workshops of the pieces with Cat. Nos. 69-72 were the same.