Leaf: paper, coloured lithographs, hand-painted details.
Frame: horn, carved, gilded.
The front of the leaf depicts a mythological scene described by Homer in the “Iliad” – the unmasking of Achilles amongst the daughters of Lycomedes.
The goddess Thetis asked King Lycomedes to hide her son Achilles on the island of Skyros to avoid the fulfilment of a prophecy. The wise Odysseus was assembling a force of the finest warriors for the expedition to Troy and wished to win Achilles over to his side. He arrived on the island disquised as a merchant and, amongst the silks, jewellery and incense, concealed armour and weapons. Suddenly, a signal horn sounded; Achilles seized his weapons and was unmasked by Odysseus.
To the right and left of the central medallion are depicted birds in a nest – a symbol of family life, and attributes of life in the countryside: fruit in a basket, flowers, a sheaf of grain, a straw hat, a rake and a watering can.
On the reverse side of the leaf, the central medallion depicts ladies spending time on a terrace, whilst the rest of the leaf is filled with floral motifs against a gold background.
