Dish c. 1720 - 1730

This dish was made by Adriaan van Rijsselbergh from earthenware, and decorated with colorful enamel paints. It appears to depict a scene in China, likely based on second-hand sources, as Europeans sought to imitate and ultimately compete with the highly prized porcelains coming from the East. What’s interesting about it is the sheer labor that went into its making. We see the hand of the potter, who formed the clay, and then the hand of the painter, who applied the colorful decoration. Each step required skill and concentration. The colors themselves would have been carefully mixed, and the firing process closely monitored. This earthenware dish represents a fascinating moment in global trade, when European artisans were striving to master the secrets of porcelain production, and participate in an increasingly competitive global market. The very act of making becomes a statement of cultural exchange and economic ambition.