Description:
English delft round strainer or drainer decorated in blue with a chinoiserie landscape scene. The perforated strainer has a one large, round central hole, which could be used to remove the strainer from a dish, and four concentric circles of smaller, round holes. A variety of specialized ceramics used in dining developed in the mid-18th century such as these delftware strainers which allowed for the decorative presentation of fish, vegetables, or salads, while removing the excess water or juice in the dish below. Strainers took two predominate forms: One version, like this example, consisted of a removable strainer that fit snuggly into a compatibly shaped dish; the second had handles and feet that rested on a large, shallow dish. This drainer or strainer would have been intended to stand on a larger deep circular dish, probably for the serving of fish, acting as a strainer for the liquids in which it was cooked. A drainer in the Colonial Williamsburg collection attached to its plate - gives a good idea what the base plate would have looked like. Octagonal, oval, and more complex shapes exist made in delftware - with circular or round being the most common. No dated examples are extant. The landscape scene shows a figure seated on the large center hole, as if on a rock, next to a willow tree, with a tall building in the foreground, running fence, rocks, and flying birds overhead.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+58.262 |
