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Lot Essay
This magnificent bowl is one of only twenty-three recorded examples. Both the form and the function of these "six-panel" bowls derive from Dutch tradition and are, accordingly, exclusive to New York in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Vander Burch made only one other known example, sold Christie's, New York, 19 January 2001, lot 353.
Brandywine bowls were filled with brandy and raisins; guests would draw liquor with a special silver drinking spoon (see lot 58), and pass the bowl by the handles to the next guest. Such ceremonies occurred on the celebrations of feast days, marriages, and the Kindermaal, a Dutch custom where women gathered to celebrate the successful delivery of a newborn child (See Deborah L. Krohn, Dutch New York, between East and West: The World of Margrieta van Varick, 2009, pp. 216-217.)
Brandywine bowls were filled with brandy and raisins; guests would draw liquor with a special silver drinking spoon (see lot 58), and pass the bowl by the handles to the next guest. Such ceremonies occurred on the celebrations of feast days, marriages, and the Kindermaal, a Dutch custom where women gathered to celebrate the successful delivery of a newborn child (See Deborah L. Krohn, Dutch New York, between East and West: The World of Margrieta van Varick, 2009, pp. 216-217.)