Lisbon, Royal Factory of Rato, Tomás Brunetto period (1767-1771) Moulded faïence with polychrome painting Inv. 552 Founded in Lisbon in 1767, at the initiative of the Count of Oeiras, later Marquis of Pombal, the Royal Factory of Rato brought about the technical and aesthetic revitalisation of faïence work in Portugal, as can be seen in the various pieces belonging to the Museum collection. Made between 1767 and 1771, when Tomás Brunetto was the first director of the factory, this tub-shaped tureen with a fish on the lid is undoubtedly one of the most unusual among those produced in the factory, following a trend of animalistic models from Germany and France, also reproduced in porcelains of the Portuguese East India Company. This piece, however, eschews the rigidity of most of these foreign models, moving towards a more popular taste, which in this case seems to reflect everyday Lisbon life.