Importante e rara salva de 32 gomos em prata, do séc. XVIII, P. 640 g.

Importante e rara salva de 32 gomos em prata, do séc. XVIII, P. 640 g.
Important and rare silver plate with 32 panels, from the 18th Century, with a circular center engraved with the monogram "IT", with a raised frame. Verse with later inscription: "This silver dish was sold by HM the Emperor of Abyssinia in London Anno Domini 1936". With Aveiro hallmark (A-3.0 or variant), dating from the beginning of the 20th century. XVIII, and makers mark F (A--11.0), attributable to Gabriel de Figueiredo, datable to the first half of the 18th century. XVIII. Small cracks and defects, scratches and wear.
Approximate weight: 640 g.; diam. approx.: 36.5 cm.

Own jewelery with marks from Aveiro are rare, which makes this work unusual and interesting from the point of view of the history of Portuguese jewellery. The old collection Francisco Barros de Sá had a very similar work, now belonging to the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art and illustrated in SANTOS, Reynaldo dos, QUILHÓ, Irene, “Ourivesaria Portuguesa nas Colecções Particulares”, Lisbon, 1974, p. 139, item 171.
With the Italo-Ethiopian War in 1936, the Emperor of Abyssinia was forced to go into exile in England. The inscription on the back shows that the salver shown here belonged to the Emperor Haile Selassie and that it was sold in 1936. The two salvers we have in this auction, from the same collection and with the same inscription on the back, are undoubtedly an elucidative factor for the presence of works of Portuguese jewelery in the royal collection or private collection of the king. Since these works date from the first half of the 20th century. XVIII, is further proof of the long relationship that Portugal had with the kingdom of Abyssinia, since the search for the mythical Christian kingdom of Prester John.