A Pair of Delftware Polychrome Plates

Period: 1680 - 1700
Origin: Delft
Dimensions: W 9" diameter" × H 1 1/2"
Reference: #Marh3048

This piece has been sold. It is shown here for reference in our archive.

Description

Each plate finely painted in blue, yellow, green and manganese, the centre with a lively depiction of Cupid running with bow and arrow drawn, within a border of stylised floral roundels. A rare survival as a pair, the plates exemplify the charm and sophistication of late 17th-century Dutch Delftware.

Cupid, the classical god of love, is a recurring motif in late 17th-century Delftware. Borrowed from Italian Renaissance prints and adapted through Dutch engravings, Cupid appears with his bow and arrow as the playful yet powerful force of love. His presence on tablewares such as these plates carried both decorative appeal and symbolic meaning: the figure embodied affection, desire, and the binding force of marriage. Delft painters frequently paired him with floral borders, reinforcing associations with beauty, fertility, and the cycles of nature. On these plates, the running Cupid with bow drawn reflects both movement and vitality, a charming allegory of love’s pursuit, rendered with the lively polychrome palette that distinguished finer Delftware of the period.

Curator's Note

A Pair of Delftware Polychrome Plates

Description

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