Votive plaque

Votive plaque

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Votive plaque, earthenware, tin-glazed, from Deruta, Italian, 1650-1750

These painted plaques are known as ‘ex votos’, meaning ‘from a vow’ in Latin. Left in a church in gratitude for answered prayers, each one tells

a story of a cure or delivery from disaster through the intervention of the Virgin Mary or another Christian saint.

Ex votos can take various forms. This colourful glazed pottery example, known as majolica, is from Deruta in Italy, a town renowned for its

ceramics since the 1400s. The letters P.G.R. stand for Per Grazia Ricevuta (By Grace Received).

Details

Category:
Medical Ceramic-ware
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A639845
Materials:
earthenware (tin-glazed)
Measurements:
overall: 249 mm x 320 mm x 34 mm,
type:
votive plaques