Wine Pot
c. 1670–c. 1680
Medium
Tin-glazed earthenware (Delftware)
Dimensions
14 × 16.6 × 25.8 cm (5 1/2 × 6 1/2 × 10 1/8 in.)
Classification
jugs (vessels)
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
213103
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Though this jug looks like a tea pot, it was most likely used for wine and modeled on imported Chinese porcelain wine pots. The cobalt blue decoration, with its figures amidst a rocky mountain-filled landscape, also owes its design inspiration to Chinese porcelain. It was made in the city of Delft, in the province of Holland, using local earthenware clay and tin-glaze to answer the European demand for imported porcelain during a period when trade with China was closed.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...