Description:
One of a pair of English delft cornucopia-shaped wall pockets, a wall-mounted flower container, decorated in blue. Fresh, dried and artificial flowers were commonly used as room decorations in the 18th centuries, and were displayed in pockets, flower bricks, vases, pots, and bowls. Wall pockets, which first appeared in China in the 17th century, reached the peak of their popularity in mid-18th century England. Wall pockets came in three basic shapes: faces (the incorporation of a human visage or grotesque mask in the design), balusters, and cornucopiae. Sold in pairs, they could be symmetrical or asymmetrical with left and right-handed shapes; examples such as these asymmetrical horns of plenty or cornucopia pockets were termed "flower horns" in 18th century documents. Wall pockets found their way to the American market in limited quantities, and advertisements for them in American newspapers are rare. William Ellery of Hartford advertised delft “flower horns” in the Connecticut Courant of November 5, 1771. The Ellery day books list sales of “1 pr. Large grane [green?] Flower horns” 6s to John Ledyard, Esquire on August 24, 1767, and another pair of “large Agle [angel or eagle?] flower horns” sold to him in May 10, 1768 for 4s 6p. 18th century delftware potteries rarely produced molded forms, preferring to paint the thick tin glaze for decoration. As in this example, pockets were usually constructed of press-molded fronts joined to a flat, slab back, which was invariably pierced with two holes for hanging. Both are decorated under the mouth with a pair of peonies on scrolling stems with leaves; a flower sprig in the center of the tail; and light and dark blue glaze covering the botton 1/4 of the tail. There are two holes on each back for hanging.
Subjects:
Pottery; glaze (coating by location) Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+54.190.2 |
