CIRCA 1760

It has been suggested that the decoration on tthe present dish may be a satirical allusion to the House of Orange. It is more likely from a series of five dishes emblematic of the Five Senses. Such dishes are known in Dutch Delft from the second half of the 17th century, with examples of a full set in the Muses Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, Brussels and three from two different sets in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. See Jacob Stodel, The Splendour of Dutch Delftware, Exhibition Catalogue, London, 1993, no. 3 for a massive blue and white example circa 1660-1670 depicting a 17th century gallant and companion seated beside a tree being fed fruit by a putto perched in a tree and nuts by a monkey at their knees.