Sweetmeat Platter

Sweetmeat Platter

Object name: Sweetmeat Platter
Date: 1550-1600
Dimensions:
130 x 130 x 15 mm
Medium: Wood
Object number: C01863
DescriptionSmall round flat panel - a Posy mat or roundel. Painted beech wood, with a decorative surface on one side. The middle band is decorated with a left-right mirror pattern of flowers and leaves painted in various pigments (green, red, white, gold and black). The outer band of the roundel is a repeated pattern decorated with different gold motifs. White pigment is used for highlighting.

The section between the outer circle and flowers has hand written quotations or paraphrased verse from the Bible in Old English: 'Accuse noo man prevelie, Ecc 5' and 'Followe not ye multetude to evil, Reg 17'. The first is a quotation from Exodus 23: 2 and the second appears to be a paraphrase of 1 Timothy 5:22 which says 'Never lay your hand hastily on any man, neither become a sharer in the sins of others; keep yourself chaste'. The Coverdale Bible of 1535 renders this as 'Laye hondes sodenly on no ma.' and the Bishop's Bible of 1568: 'Lay handes sodenly on no man'. The notations 'Ecc 5' and 'Reg 17' in red following the Bible quotations are not clear in their meaning. Britain.