Dish (3) - Earthenware - A rare group of vessels

An assembled garniture of three Lower Rhine slipware earthenware vessels (Niederrheinische Irdenware), dated 1820, captures the vigorous vernacular potting traditions of Western Germany during the Biedermeier period. Thrown on the potter’s wheel from local iron-rich terracotta clay and decorated with fluid slip-trailed ornament beneath a transparent lead glaze, this ensemble comprises a substantial flared basin alongside two commemorative presentation dishes. The centerpiece basin, measuring 31 cm in diameter and 9 cm in height, is centered by a spirited depiction of a songbird perched upon stylized leafy sprigs within concentric slip bands, framed along its broad everted rim by rhythmic scrolls and a cursive vernacular inscription along the lower border. Complementing the basin are two dated presentation plates illustrating the customary regional practice of recording familial, domestic, or guild milestones. The cream-ground dish displays radiating foliate palmettes in terracotta and copper-green enclosing a formal three-line epigraphic inscription reading “Anno Domini 1820” above an inverted triangle of horizontal petticoat hatching, while the companion terracotta-ground plate features alternating hatched escutcheons encircling a central reserve inscribed with the abbreviated formula “Anno 1820”, underscored by an intricate looped calligraphic flourish. The unglazed reverses reveal the buff-firing clay body with characteristic wire-cut striations and authentic firing characteristics. The documentation by the previous owner records their acquisition in Titz, North Rhine-Westphalia, noting their discovery as stabilized sub-surface construction recoveries (Baugrubenfunde). Commensurate with their utilitarian folk heritage, two centuries of age, and archaeological retrieval, the three vessels - which together weigh 2,3 kilograms - exhibit a stable, honest condition, displaying consolidated hairline fractures, minor localized rim chipping, expected glaze craquelure, and faint kiln firing imperfections, while retaining their glaze luminosity and crisp decorative presence. PROVENANCE Recovered during building excavations in Titz, Germany. Property from the Estate of a German biologist and naturalist (1948–2012). Thence by descent to the present owner.

Estimate:$179.27

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