"Republic of Venice" Plate

We sourced an authentic medieval plate for this work, created during the time when Venice was still an independent Republic. We restored the original that was faded and chipped after so many centuries, and also added additional elements to the border in order to enrich the concentric composition.

If you have been in Venice, you have been greeted by this winged lion in the famous St. Mark's Square. The fifteen-foot bronze statue stands atop a column of Egyptian granite, and has always been the symbol of the Venetian Republic. Not all people know that its story has been very adventurous because everybody wanted this lion - and for a good reason.

Venetian tradition states that when Mark was traveling through Europe, he arrived at a lagoon in Venice, whereby an angel appeared to him and said, "Peace be with thee, O Mark, my evangelist. Here thy body will rest." This tradition was used as justification in 828 for stealing the remains of Mark from his grave in Alexandria and moving them to Venice, where they were eventually interred in the Basilica of St. Mark. Having the remains of a Saint was a huge financial resource for a city, and was also a sign of power and prestige.

Also the lion's statue was eventually brought to the lagoon a couple centuries later, in the 12th century, and remained there until Napoleon moved it to Paris. Returned to Venice in 1815, the statue fell and was rebuilt. Restorers believe its body is roughly 2,300 years old.

This unbreakable plate can be used as a dinner plate or as a decoration to hang on the wall; it can also sit on a stand because it looks like an authentic ceramic plate. You can now have the looks of refined ceramics without the danger of breaking it! 

• Size: 10 inch (25,4 cm)
• Microwave Safe
• Safe for use in Convection or Conventional Ovens
• Dishwasher-Safe (Commercial & Residential)
• BPA- Free
• Contains No Melamine or Formaldehyde
• 300°F < 60 Minutes
• 100% Made in the U.S.A.

Production and Shipping:

- Manufactured and Shipped from: USA
- This product is made-to-order, consistently with our environmental pledge
- Estimated production time is 4 to 6 business days