Antique Renaissance Bronze Plaque with Minerva Athena after Hans Jakob Bay

Antique 18th-19th century circular bronze plaque-dish in the Renaissance manner "Minerva leads the personification of painting into the circle of Arts and Sciences," after Hans Jakob Bayr (1574 – 1628), Augsburg, Germany.
The bronze plaque, beautifully cast in relief, depicts the goddess Minerva (Athena in Greek mythology), introducing the personification of "Painting" into the circle of liberal arts. Female figures personify the Seven Liberal Arts. They are Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy with their tools, books, and instruments around them.

The relief represents the ideology that painting was worthy of being included in the realm of higher learning. One of the "arts" holds the caduceus, which is the traditional symbol of Hermes and features two snakes winding around an often winged staff. Caduceus is often used as a symbol of medicine.
One figure carries a globe, another plays the shawm, and both depict symbols of classical mythology. The lizard, for example, represents divine wisdom and good fortune.
The scenery is set within the city of Rome's allegorical landscape with classical ruins and the Trajan Forum's view with the Column of Trajan at the end. The relief is surrounded by a wide, concave rim adorned with a border of fine palmettes. 
The dish has three short tubular legs with remnants of old wire secured by soldering, which was added later to hang it on the wall.

NOTE: Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence like Mars, but defensive war only.
From the second century B.C. onward, the Romans equated her with the Greek goddess Athena. Minerva is one of the three Roman deities in the Capitoline Triad, along with Jupiter and Juno. She was the virgin goddess of music, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, and crafts. She is often depicted with her sacred creature, "owl of Minerva," which symbolizes her association with wisdom and knowledge, as well as, less frequently, the snake and the olive tree. Minerva is commonly depicted as tall with an athletic and muscular build, wearing armor and carrying a spear.

MEASUREMENTS:
Diameter: 32.5 cm (12.8 inches)
Height: 3.5 cm (1.38 inch)
Weight: 1.460 kg (3.219 lbs.)

CONDITION: Showing age and use, slightly worn, with a lovely old patina, the wide concave rim has some dents and nicks. Slight traces of silver plating remain on the exterior in a few places.