Giovanni De Simone wall plaque, mid-1950s (36cm x 24cm)

The film Ivanhoe, which was released in 1952, has always been one of my favorites. Based on the 1819 novel by Scottish author Sir Walter Scott, the film follows the trials and travails of Ivanhoe, a knight loyal to King Richard. Starring the dashing Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her beauty, and a host of superb character actors including George Sanders, Finlay Currie, Felix Aylmer and Guy Rolfe, it is 107 minutes of non-stop action, intrigue, humor and romance. For those who like films with a message, Ivanhoe also addresses social inequality, political corruption and religious prejudice. Too weighty for such a film? Perhaps, but I think it all works well — and the filmgoers of that year agreed, making it MGM’s biggest earner of 1952. The film was also released in Italy, so there is a good chance Giovanni De Simone saw it and might have been inspired to make this wall plaque. With as much color as the Technicolor process used in Ivanhoe, two knights ready for action and a hint of humor (those expressions!), this piece is a good match for the film. It even has some weight of its own (10 lbs/4.5 kg!) due to the production technique. The area surrounding the figures was excised to depths of up to 5mm, leaving deep and uneven wells which could be filled with various glazes. When the plaque was fired, the irregular surfaces resulted in the glazes taking on various and unusual effects. Combined with the thickness and dimensionality of the raised figures, the result was something quite special — making two suits of armor which still shine brightly 70 years later.