Night light

Dateca. 1770

MediumTin-glazed earthenware (delft)

DimensionsH: 10 3/8" (26.4 cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1957-171,A-D

DescriptionMolded in four parts: cylindrical base with ram's horn handles and masks covering air vents; hemispherical food dish with flanged cylindrical neck and shell-from handles; shallow domed lid with candle holder on top; and cup-shaped oil boat with ridged handle. Blue tin-glaze decorated with banding and foliage motifs; on the underside of the lid, the number 25; on the base, the number 1.
Label TextFood warmers, or veilleuses, were produced in all ceramic forms from the mid-eighteenth century through the nineteenth century on the Continent as well as in England. In the pattern book he published in 1774 Josiah Wedgwood illustrated a similar form, calling it a "Night Light" and stating that it was intended "to keep any liquid warm all night." Late creamware and whiteware examples usually have a second lower dish that functions as a double boiler. In England, delft examples were made at several factories, including Bristol. Examples of this form and decoration are the most common although many are missing the oil boat that rests in the cylindrical base. The disparity between the numbers on the cover and the base suggests that the two parts may not always have been together.
InscribedOn the underside of the lid, the number 25; on the base, the number 1.
MarkingsNone
ProvenanceJoseph Vizcarra, Lombard, IL