18th Century Dutch Delft Blue Floral Charger

• 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.
• Charger - An oversize dish or plate in ceramic, silver, or pewter primarily made for display, but able to be used for serving at the table or on a sideboard.
• Firing Crack - A firing crack is a crack in a porcelain or stoneware item that occurs whilst the item is in the kiln.They are usually caused by faulty design, where one part is thicker than the surrounding area, and being thicker it cools more slowly, setting up a stress with the surrounding area. Firing cracks are not often seen on modern mass produced porcelain, as the damaged items are discarded during prooduction. However they are seen in earlier items and artisan-produced objects.
• Tin Glaze - A ceramic glaze associated with lustre ware, maiolica, faience and Delftware. After an initial firing, the pottery was dippeed into the glaze, composed of oxides of lead and tin, which produce a porous white opaque but glossy surface. The pieces were then decorated again and fired which had the effect of fusing the colours into the glaze.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Delft pottery (Netherlands) - chargers 38