Teapot 1692 - 1730

This teapot, made by the Het Jonge Moriaenshooft Factory, is a striking example of delftware, a tin-glazed earthenware that imitates Chinese porcelain. The shiny, dark ground, with its delicate scrolling decoration, gives a sense of luxury. But it is important to remember that this teapot is not porcelain, that most prized of all ceramic materials, but a humbler substance trying its best to imitate the real thing. And in fact, Delftware emerged as a direct result of trade imbalances. When the Dutch East India Company began importing porcelain in vast quantities, local potteries struggled to compete. They started innovating with tin glaze to get the look of porcelain with local materials. Note the metal fixtures, which add a touch of whimsy. The squirrel on the lid and the bird at the handle were made separately and attached, probably by soldering. This combination of different materials and processes challenges our traditional notions of art and craft. It reminds us that the value of an object is not just in its material, but in the ingenuity and labor that goes into its making.