Hispano-Moresque, circa 1700-1750

With Anita Gray, London, 2010;

From whom acquired.

The technique of tin-glazing earthenware originated in the Middle East in the ninth and tenth centuries and spread to Europe, reaching Valencia by the thirteenth century. Hispano-Moresque wares, such as the present example, embody a distinctive fusion of Islamic and Gothic artistic traditions and were eagerly sought after.

The iridescent luster was achieved by applying metal oxides to the ceramic surface and firing the piece in a special kiln. These wares were highly prized not only for their shimmering, metallic finish but also for their evocation of a chemical transformation of base materials into gold—a notion that had fascinated alchemists since the Middle Ages.

The present basin, adorned with an array of leaves, birds, and scrolling motifs, finds a close parallel in a basin housed in the Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Suntuarias González Martí in Valencia, Spain (accession number: CE1/01733). Both vessels are dated to the 18th century and feature a vegetal frieze on the interior and more abstract scrolling motifs on the exterior.