Basin (Réchaud)

Unknown

mid-16th century · Lead-glazed earthenware (white pottery) · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The shape suggests a chafing dish (réchaud in French). Food was kept warm in a separate receptacle placed atop the basin, which would have been filled with water heated by a brazier stored in the pedestal. However, the fragility of the Museum’s basin indicates that it served a purely decorative purpose. The purple and green pillars and the large-scale floral motifs on a brown ground are unique to this piece.

Artist

Unknown

Date

mid-16th century

Medium

Lead-glazed earthenware (white pottery)

Culture

French, Saint-Porchaire or Paris

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917