Plate with Portraits of William III (r. 1689–1702) and Mary II (r. 1689–1694)

Plate with Portraits of William III (r. 1689–1702) and Mary II (r. 1689–1694)

Public Domain

Plate with Portraits of William III (r. 1689–1702) and Mary II (r. 1689–1694)
CultureEnglish
Titles
  • Plate with Portraits of William III (r. 1689–1702) and Mary II (r. 1689–1694)
Datec. 1689–1694
Probable placeLondon, England
MediumTin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
Dimensions7/8 × 8 13/16 in. diameter (2.2 × 22.4 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by Lee Hage Jamail in honor of Rose Cullen
Object numberB.94.16
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Pine Room
On view

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
Description

Delftware is a variety of earthenware with tin oxide added to its lead glaze formula to give an opaque white effect that was often used to imitate, or at least suggest, the appearance of Chinese porcelain. First produced in England in the late 1500s, delftware grew in popularity in the 1600s as potteries flourished in London, Bristol, and elsewhere in the British Isles. Metallic oxides provided a range of colors for decoration: cobalt for blue, manganese for purple, iron for red, copper for green, and antimony for yellow. Delftware was relatively soft and chipped easily. By the mid-1700s, more durable soft-paste porcelains and salt-glazed stonewares grew in popularity; by the early 1800s, delftware production in England had declined dramatically.

Ceramics depicting royal figures found great popularity in England during the second half of the seventeenth century, continuing to the present day. William III and Mary, depicted on this dish, came from Holland in the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688, ending the brief reign of Catholic monarch James II and consolidating Protestant power in the British crown


Provenance[W. M. Schwind, Jr. Antiques and Fine Art, Yarmouth, Maine]; purchased by MFAH, 1994.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Inscribed on front: WMR
[none]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Dish with Portrait of William III (r. 1689–1702)
c. 1689–1702
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.2017.12
Dish with Portrait of William III (r. 1689–1702)
c. 1689–1702
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.59.122
Plate
1688
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.56.99
Plate
1702
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.56.98
Ointment Pot
c. 1700–1750
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.59.134
scan from file photograph
c. 1780–1800
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.59.99
Dinner Plate
c. 1740–1750
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.56.65
Dinner Plate
c. 1740
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.56.41.1
scan of file photograph
c. 1750–1760
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.55.25
Dinner Plate (one of a pair)
c. 1770
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.56.88.1
Dinner Plate (one of a pair)
c. 1770
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.56.88.2
Punch Bowl
c. 1770
Tin-glazed earthenware (delftware)
B.56.89