ATTRIBUTED TO LUCA DELLA ROBBIA (ITALIAN, 1399-1482): AN IMPORTANT 15TH CENTURY TIN GLAZED EARTHENWARE RELIEF DEPICTING POPE MARTIN V  the rectangular maiolica relief panel depicting a portrait of Pope Martin V in profile in white on a blue ground, facing left, dressed in cope and papal crown, his coat of arms (a column within a shield) to the upper left corner, inscribed at the base 'MARTINVS V', the reverse signed 'LRO' in blue, later mounted on a walnut panel with four fleur de lys iron brackets holding the panel in place,  46.5cm high x 33.5cm wide, the wooden mount 73.5cm high x 52cm wide Sold with a copy of a thermoluminescence analysis report dated 1/8/2018 from Arcadia Tecnologie per I Beni Culturali, Milan, stating that the sample taken indicates that the date of the object is consistent with the presumed dating of the piece, 15th century. Pope Martin V was known as Otto di Colonna (1368 – 1431) before his papal election, hence the column depicted in the top left corner. His greatest achievement was ending the Western Schism at the Council of Constance in 1417, and he remained Pope until his death in 1431.  Luca Della Robbia was the head of a family of artists famous for the glazed terracotta technique used in the present relief. Luca invented the technique which was to revolutionise terracotta sculpture in the 16th century. The bright glaze which has survived six hundred years and is still rich in colour, meant that his sculptures and portraits were easily seen in dark interiors or chapels, and the terracotta was easier to produce than carving in marble or stone.  Literature: A comparable relief is illustrated in Catalogue of Gothic and Renaissance Italian and French Art, The Tolentino Collection, the American Art Galleries, April 1924, New York 1924. Here attributed to Luca della Robbia.