Istoriato plate - the ocean calmed down by Neptune

The forerunner of the composition was Marcantonio Raimondi’s engraving of the same title and from about the same time. The story is known from Virgil’s Aeneis. Aeneas heads the surviving Trojans they are on their way to Latium however, the wrath of the jealous Juno reaches Aeneas’ ships. The hurt goddess disarranged the fleet with the help of Aeolus, the king of the winds. The giant waves whipped up by the wind were calmed down by Neptune he sails atop the surfs on his light cart, aided by the daughter of Nereus, Cymothoe. During additional, more detailed research of the Italian majolica collection, doubt was raised regarding to the genuineness of this item presently the object is being investigated.