Terrine veelkleurig beschilderd met bloemboeketten 1760 - 1770

This is a faience terrine with a multicolored floral design, made by Johan van Kerkhoff in the Netherlands, sometime in the 18th century. At this time, Dutch ceramics were flourishing, driven by international trade and local entrepreneurship. The terrine, with its refined floral motifs, speaks to the social rituals of dining in the 1700s. The delicacy of the painted flowers mirrors the care and artistry put into the meals it would have served. This was a period of growing merchant power, and such items signal a household's elevated social status. They also testify to the increasing importance of the decorative arts within elite domestic settings. To fully understand this work, we could look at estate inventories, trade records, and pattern books. We can understand how art is so often entwined with expressions of social identity.