D2365. Pair of Polychrome Cartouche Shaped Plaque

Each painted in blue in the center with a lush bouquet of flowers, the edge molded with a green, blue, manganese, and iron-red-heightened yellow rocaillerie frame pierced at the top with a large hole for suspension, the reverse glazed.

DIMENSIONS
Height: 33.3 cm. (13.1 in.)

NOTE
The precise dating of Dutch Delft plaques, particularly those of this elaborate shape, which seems to have enjoyed an enduring popularity, hasalways been difficult and even slightly controversial. In an attempt to clarify the criteria for ascribing certain date ranges to the production of these plaques, a committee was assembled to examine without bias a group of plaques from various sources and of seemingly various dates. Based on the colors, especially the tones of blue; the eighteenth-century spontaneity vs. the slightly later-appearing stiffness; the quality of the glaze; and the compositional style of the scenes, a series of three date ranges emerged: circa 1780-1800, circa 1800-20 and circa 1820-40. It was surmised that very few, if any, Dutch Delft plaques were produced between about 1840 and 1865, after the closure of most of the factories and before the collecting of Delftware was revived.