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Lot Essay
This basin or 'lampetschotel', along with a companion ewer or 'lampetkan', would have been an essential part of the 17th century dining equipment, being used during and after meals to wash the hands while seated at the table. This would have been a requirement as the use of spoons and forks was not common until the end of the 17th century when the French introduced sets of table flatware. As with much silver in the 16th and 17th century the ewer and basin would also have been a key means of communicating to guests the importance and wealth of their hosts and thus, like the present example, they were often lavish objects.
Although Frederiks attributes this basin to the monogrammist HN, and compares the present dish with two others bearing this monogram, one dated 1660, the other 1668, (J. W. Frederiks, Dutch Silver, The Hague, 1961, vol. IV, no. 157) it is now accepted that the two cited examples could not in fact be by van der Horst as he was not free of the Amsterdam guild until 1668.
Although Frederiks attributes this basin to the monogrammist HN, and compares the present dish with two others bearing this monogram, one dated 1660, the other 1668, (J. W. Frederiks, Dutch Silver, The Hague, 1961, vol. IV, no. 157) it is now accepted that the two cited examples could not in fact be by van der Horst as he was not free of the Amsterdam guild until 1668.