C28: Maiolica dish with profiled head

The profiled head with an arrow in the centre of this dish is probably St. Sebastian. He was born in Narbonne, Gaul in c. 256 and died in c.288. He was a soldier in the Roman army who encouraged Marcellian and Marcus, two Christian prisoners under sentence of death, to remain firm in their faith. He also cured a woman of her muteness, a deed that instantly converted 78 people.
Sebastian was named captain in the praetorian guards by Emperor Diocletian, who did not know that he was Christian. When this was discovered, Sebastian was ordered to be executed. Diocletian 'commanded him to be led to the field and there to be bounden to a stake for to be shot at. And the archers shot at him till he was full of arrows' and they left him there, thinking him dead. When Irene, the widow of St. Castulus went to bury him, she found that the arrows had not killed him, and she nursed him back to health. Afterwards Sebastian accused the Emperor of cruelty towards Christians. Diocletian had him then beaten to death and his body thrown in a privy. St. Sebastian is known as the patron of archers, athletes, and soldiers.

The plate’s metallic lustre decoration are typical of Deruta. The dish has a central boss on which to place a matching ewer (now missing).