Two butter dishes c. 1740 - 1765

This porcelain butter dish was crafted by De Drie Posteleyne Astonne. During the 18th century, Dutch Delftware potteries like De Drie Posteleyne Astonne embraced chinoiserie styles. Note the whimsical snail atop a cabbage leaf lid, a playful detail that speaks to the era's fascination with the natural world. The exterior is decorated with pastoral scenes that suggest a harmonious world of farmers at work and leisure. The scenes evoke the era’s social hierarchy while referencing the Dutch countryside’s economic importance. As a social historian, I'm intrigued by how everyday objects reflect societal values. One should ask, how did these butter dishes function within Dutch households? And, what did they represent? Objects like these offer a tangible connection to the past. Museum archives, estate inventories, and trade records can all shed light on the cultural context surrounding these butter dishes.