Delft Polychrome Butter Dish with Kakiemon Decoration, 18th Century

A fine Dutch Delft polychrome earthenware butter dish with domed cover, decorated in the Japanese Kakiemon style. The round form is painted with birds among flowering branches, executed in a vivid palette of red, green, blue, and yellow enamels.

The decoration was achieved using the petit feu (low-fire) technique, in which enamel colours were applied over the white tin glaze and fixed in a second, lower-temperature firing. This innovation allowed Delft potters to expand their palette beyond cobalt blue and achieve the distinctive brilliance of iron-red and emerald green, emulating the refinement of Japanese porcelain.

The dish is unmarked, as is not unusual for Delft of this period.
Fitted with a later silver swing handle, hallmarked for Dutch 2nd standard silver (833/1000), dated 1882, most likely Jan Bouwknegt. Butter dishes of this type were originally not outfitted with handles, but this 19th century addition enhances it nicely.

Butter dishes of this type were luxury tableware, reflecting both the fascination for East Asian models and the technical sophistication of Delft craftsmanship. Complete examples with cover are comparatively rare, adding to its desirability.

• diameter: 11 centimeters
• Height: 5 centimeters (ex the handle)