87 - Important polychrome majolica stove, Germany, mid-19th century, h. 227 x 92 x 83 cm

Important polychrome majolica stove, Germany, mid-19th century, h. 227 x 92 x 83 cm Large polychrome majolica stove in the Neo-Renaissance style, set on a rectangular molded wooden base and supported at the front by two sculpted feet shaped like crouching lions. The lower section, rectangular in shape and slightly tapered, is entirely covered with figurative relief tiles, arranged in multiple registers and framed by architectural elements.The decoration depicts a complex narrative cycle of biblical subjects, with scenes set within elaborate perspective architecture and flanked by ornamental motifs. Among the recognizable episodes are the Creation of Eve (Erschaffung Evas), the Three Wise Men at the court of Herod (Die drei Könige bei Herodes), the Adoration of the Magi (Anbetung der drei Könige), the Resurrection of Christ (Auferstehung Christi), and the shepherds in the fields (Die Hirten auf dem Felde).The lower section is separated from the upper section by a wide projecting cornice, punctuated by decorative relief panels featuring lions and ornamental motifs. The upper section, with a polygonal cross-section, features polychrome tiles depicting heraldic coats of arms, ornamental vases, and figures within niches, topped by a molded projecting cornice. Among the figures, some have been identified as Isabella of Portugal, dressed in blue, and Duke Ludwig of Bavaria-Landshut.This piece is a 19th-century replica of a Renaissance model dating from around 1540, the original of which is housed at Schloss Aicholding, near Riedenburg, Upper Palatinate, Germany.