SERPENTINE PLATE.
Saxony. 2nd half of the 17th C.

Grey-green granite serpentine. Round form with a wide; slightly scalloped brim and a deeper centre. ?22.8cm. Condition A.

Provenance:
German collection; bought from the art dealer Albrecht Neuhaus; W黵zburg.

Literature:
Eva Maria Hoyer. S鋍hsischer Serpentin. Ein Stein und seine Verwendung. Leipzig 1995.
Flatwear cat.-no.102; p.240; illustrated p.107.

The writers Galen and Plinius reported the healing powers of serpentine as early as in the antique era. The stone was supposed to be particularly effective against snake bites; headaches and somnolence. The stone's similarity to snakeskin was the main reason why even then it was thought to have the ability to absorb poison.

Art trade; Van Ham.