Small platter
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Tin-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
7 1/2 × 5 1/2 in. (19.1 × 14 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
Dutch, Delft
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1894
Accession Number
94.4.334
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming small platter, crafted in 19th-century Dutch Delft exemplifies the enduring tradition of-glazed earthenware, as Delftware. Measuring just 7½ × 5½ inches, this intimate piece features a lively scene of men and women amid trees, with figures engaged in smoking—likely pipes—a nod to leisurely social customs of the era. The tin, created by coating earthenware with tin oxide, provided a smooth, opaque white surface ideal for vibrant painted decorations that fired at low temperatures without fading. Delftware originated in the 17th century as Dutch potters imitated Chinese porcelain, ...