Bord van veelkleurig beschilderde faïence

About this artwork

diameter 22.5 cm x height 3.5 cm

Art Historical Context

This exquisite polychrome faience plate, titled *Bord van veelkleurig beschilderde faïence*, dates to around 1700–1725 and exemplifies the vibrant ceramic artistry of the Dutch Golden Age's waning years. Crafted anonymously—a common practice for workshop-produced wares—the dish measures approximately 22.5 cm in diameter and 3.5 cm in height, making it a practical yet decorative tabletop item for affluent households. Faience, a tin-glazed earthenware, allowed artisans to achieve a brilliant white surface ideal for bold, multicolored overglaze paintings fired at low temperatures. This technique, perfected in Delft, Netherlands, mimicked costly Chinese porcelain while incorporating European motifs like florals or exotic scenes, reflecting global trade influences from the Dutch East India Company era. As a snapshot of 18th-century domestic luxury, this plate highlights faience's role in everyday opulence, bridging functionality and fine art. Its vivid hues and glossy finish continue to captivate, offering visitors a tangible link to the ingenuity of early modern potters.

About the Artist

anonymous

In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...