Fergus Gambon
Director
Lot 66
A very unusual saltglaze punchbowl, Derbyshire or Nottingham, 18th century
23 June 2021, 10:30 BST
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £3,825 inc. premium
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A very unusual saltglaze punchbowl, Derbyshire or Nottingham, 18th century
Standing on a domed and finely turned foot, the deep bowl stamped on the exterior with various plants, dogs, birds and human figures including a devil, a huntsman, a soldier on horseback, a stag, a unicorn and a double-headed eagle, a formal band of rouletting below the finely turned rim, 26.2cm diam
Footnotes
Provenance
Pelham Olive Collection
Metallic brown saltglaze is traditionally associated with Nottingham, although a similar glaze was made in other centres, most notably in Derbyshire at Crich, Chesterfield and Belper. The method of decoration used on this punchbowl is most unusual, the motifs being die-stamped rather than applied, a technique used in the late 17th century by John Dwight and also found on some 18th century white saltglazed stonewares. The curious and diverse subject matter suggests the potter used an assortment of bought-in metal dies. The figure of a devil is shown using bellows to inflate a pig bladder, a motif sometimes associated with the Italian Comedy.
