Continental Faience Plaque in the From of a Horse, Probably Rorstrand

Details

Description

Whimsy in Tin-Glaze: A 19th-Century Continental Horse Plaque

Object: Decorative Wall Plaque (Three-Dimensional Relief)
Origin: Sweden, Probably Rörstrand Factory
Date: … Read more Whimsy in Tin-Glaze: A 19th-Century Continental Horse Plaque

Object: Decorative Wall Plaque (Three-Dimensional Relief)
Origin: Sweden, Probably Rörstrand Factory
Date: Circa 1840
Medium: Tin-Glazed Earthenware (Faience), Hand-Painted

Dimensions: Length: 9 1/2 inches x 7 1/2 inches high.

This charming and unusual plaque is a fine example of mid-19th century Scandinavian faience, an earthenware typically associated with the prestigious Rörstrand factory in Sweden. Faience—a technique involving painting on a tin-glazed, opaque white surface—was popular across Europe, but this piece exhibits a particularly endearing folk sensibility typical of Northern European design.

The plaque is skillfully moulded in three dimensions to depict a spirited galloping gray horse with a flowing black mane and tail. This three-dimensional, relief-moulded quality distinguishes it from typical flat wall tiles. The simple, naive folk art approach is highly engaging; the horse is amusingly decorated with a stippled coat and stands above brightly painted green tufts of grass and flowers, giving the impression of a treasured domestic object.

Historical Context: Scandinavian Faience

While 18th-century European faience often mimicked Chinese porcelain (as seen in the earlier Moustiers style), 19th-century Scandinavian factories like Rörstrand often adapted the medium for more whimsical, decorative forms. These plaques, intended for hanging on a wall—as indicated by the hole on the reverse—were part of a Victorian-era trend toward collectible, affordable, and visually amusing domestic decoration. This plaque, with its combination of high-quality tin glaze and charming, folkloric subject, represents a transition in the medium from purely functional tablewares to decorative art objects.

Potential References

Rörstrand Museum/Historical Archives: For documentation on their 19th-century faience production and three-dimensional plaques.

European Ceramics/Scandinavian Design History: Publications focusing on the 19th-century shift in decorative art and the continued use of faience in Sweden.

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