•D2597. Pair of Polychrome Pike Tureens, Covers and Stands

Delft, circa 1765

Naturalistically modeled, each tureen and stand formed as overlapping green serrated leaves, and the covers surmounted by a pike with a raised tail.

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 12.5 cm. (5 in.)

PROVENANCE
German Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

NOTE
In the middle of the eighteenth century, Delft potters quickly accommodated the new tastes of the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie for adorning their tables with brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and zoomorphic objects. Fine dining was an exceedingly important social ritual, and the accompanying accessories were reflective of the owner’s status. The table was the setting for spectacle, in both the cuisine and the extraordinary objects. Delft potteries produced small, trompe l’oeil tureens, which functioned as serving wares and decorated the table. Tureens in the form of fish, surmounted by little eels and pike were particularly popular in the Netherlands and were generally used to serve pastries, in this case probably made of fish.