Gouda pottery ewer, model 71, from the period 1899-1904

Description

This ewer was made by the Dutch pottery company Zuid-Holland from Gouda during its early years of production. It was made no earlier than 1899 and no later than 1904. It is model 71, an ewer with a handle and a particularly sharp beak. The object is 17.5 cm or 6.9 inch high and 12.5 cm or 4.9 inch wide and is painted in a typical early Gouda design with blue flowers against a background of brown, yellow, dark green, and brick red. Early Gouda designs still retain many Art Nouveau characteristics, such as swirling lines. The painter is Cornelis Hornis. The ewer or jug is clearly marked with the words “Made in Zuid-Holland,” the potter factory’s logo: the Lazaruspoortje (little Lazarus Gate), and Hornis’s signature: CH. The model number is also incised on the bottom: 71. The ewer is virtually pristine. Only under magnification can a tiny, rough spot be seen on the tip of the spout. Some irregularities in the glaze (firing flaws) are visible at the bottom of the foot and on the inside of the handle.