Earthenware votive plaque

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. It depicts two women praying for a sick individual in bed. 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:
A85198
Materials:
earthenware (tin glazed)
Measurements:
overall: 251 mm x 326 mm x 40 mm, 3.44 kg
type:
votive offerings
credit:
Loan, Wellcome Trust