Ewer and basin c. 1760 - 1770

This ewer, likely made in Delft by Johan van Kerkhoff in the mid-18th century, is earthenware covered with tin glaze and enamel paint. This material combination imitates porcelain, but without the expense, or the high firing temperature. Delftware, as this kind of tin-glazed earthenware is known, was essentially an exercise in deception. The maker has coated the porous clay body with an opaque white glaze, which provided a blank canvas for painting. The purple landscape is derived from fashionable French imagery of the period, but here, the scene has been quickly and efficiently applied using stencils. This object stands as a testament to the Dutch entrepreneurial spirit. It reflects the desire to provide luxury goods to a wide market, using industrialized techniques and relatively inexpensive materials. Appreciating the skill and ingenuity involved challenges any rigid distinction between art and craft.