Bottle vase with flower baskets and floral scrolls c. 1680 - 1720

This bottle vase was made by an anonymous maker, out of faience and tin glaze. The flower baskets and floral scrolls are painted on with cobalt oxide. Faience is a low-fired earthenware. After the first firing, a tin-based glaze is applied, giving it a bright white surface. The painter then applies the decoration. The bright white surface of the glaze is the perfect canvas for the painter. It is a satisfying task to paint on the blank canvas with the blue pigment. The blue colour appears only after the second firing. This vase reflects the influence of Chinese porcelain, which had been imported to Europe for centuries. Yet, the faience earthenware, made with local materials and skills, allowed potters to create their own version. This lovely object shows the power of making to bridge cultures and histories, and how this process has been informed by global trade.