18th Century English Delft Floral Punchbowl

• Earthenware - A basic ceramic material that is fired at a low temperature. Earthenware is the basis of almost all ancient, medieval, Middle Eastern and European painted ceramics. After firing, the colour is the colour of the clay when it is dug from the ground: buff, brown and red. It is not waterproof until glazed. Creamware is a type of earthenware covered with a transparent lead glaze. Majolica, faience and delft are also earthenware covered in an opaque white tin glaze.
• Cross Hatching - A decorative technique used in art, decorative arts, gilded frames and furniture to indicate light and shade through sets of parallel lines crossing each other at an oblique or right angle. The lines can be incised or engraved, as on metalware and ceramics, drawn or painted as in works of art and ceramics, or carved or applied as in furniture and mirrors. When used in art, the lines are usually very close together, whereas when used on ceramics, frames or furniture the lines may be much further apart effectively creating a square or diamond shape, which may contain further decoration.
• Tin Glazed - Tin glazing is a technique used to decorate earthenware, to produce maiolica, faience and delftware. Once the pottery has been fired, it is dipped into a white opaque glaze of oxides of tin and lead which produces a porous white surface, the background for the brightly painted decoration. The surface is then decorated with enamel colours which are absorbed by the glaze, and then fired again, resulting in the decoration fusing into the surface of the object.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Delft pottery (Netherlands) - plates, bowls and dishes 92