Description:
English delft punch bowl with the well inscription in blue, "Success/To the British/Arms" over a seraph, surrounded by a band of a bianco-sopra-bianco floral design. This bowl is one of a large group that commemorates the French and Indian War (1754-1763). With the assistance of Native American and colonial allies, France and England fought for control of the North American continent, a conflict that formed part of a "great war for empire," a determined and eventually successful attempt by which Britain gained control of North America, the West Indies, and the subcontinent of India. The war expanded into Europe as the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). John Austin's, "British Delft at Williamsburg", notes that: "Ceramics molded or painted with inscriptions and illustrations commemorating the Seven Years' War survive in salt-glazed stoneware as well as in delft", although this inscription is most common on delft. This combination of interior bianco and exterior chinoiserie decoration is found on a large group of bowls, many with a 1755 date, with the most common inscriptions being "One Bowl More and Then" (see HD 56.311) and variations on "Success to the", such as "British Fleet", "British Flag", and "King of Prussia" (the latter more often found on salt-glaze). This chinoiserie blue and purple landscape with its large pagoda, running fence, river, bridge, small building, rocks, trees, and foliage has been found on at least 12 other bowls, most with interior bianco decoration and inscriptions. This punch bowl is unusual for its small size, a one quart (4 cups) bowl; an individual drinker could drink directly from the bowl. Although sizes varied greatly, Connecticut River Valley merchants supplied their customers with 2 quart, 1 quart, pint, or "nip" bowls. The bowl has a yellow-brown rim and is supported on a 1/4" cylindrical foot ring. The London attribution is based on related bowls, bianco pattern, and glaze. The London attribution is based on related bowls, bianco pattern, and glaze. Although bianco-sopra-bianco decoration also is found on Bristol delftware, that on the Historic Deerfield bowl is more consistent with ornament on factory waste excavated in London. The combination on delftware punch bowls of bianco-sopra-bianco decoration, pagoda scenes in blue and manganese, and inscriptions was a popular one, and several such ornamented bowls are dated from the same year. One example includes the same interior inscription as Deerfield's bowl but has the words "John Parkhurt / 1755" under the base. Two others commemorate candidates in an Oxfordshire parliamentary race: one is inscribed "WENMAN & DASHWOOD FOOR EVER / ONE MORE / AND THEN / 1755"; and the other just "WENMAN : & : DASHWOOD: / FOR : EVER. / 1755"-this one has different exterior chinoiserie motifs in the same color range. Another 1755 example is dedicated "Dirick.Nilsen/Bergen" and a wonderful bowl reproducing the Arms of the Gardeners' Company of London is inscribed "Immortal Punch That Elevates The Soul It Makes Us Demi Gods When O'er A Flowing Bowl." Bianco-sopra-bianco is decorative form where a painted design in a brilliant white pigment stands out against a tinted ground. Late fifteenth-century Italian potters first developed this technique, called 'bianchetto', but its revival in the eighteenth century is probably connected to decorated Chinese export porcelains. Underglaze carved decoration (known as 'an hua') and overglaze white enameling on Chinese porcelains directly inspired their imitation on delftwares. The bianco sopra bianco technique first appeared in Europe on Italian maiolica of the late 15th or early 16th century but it was not long lived and disappeared.
Tags:
pagodas; military Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+94.021 |
