JVV 0410
Amsterdam, 1740-1760
The mule has a pointed nose and a high vamp. It is painted in blue and purple with flowers. A band with dots is applied in blue just below the edge of the shaft. The heel and sole are in purple.
Dimensions: length 13 cm / 5.11 in., width 4.6 cm / 1.81 in., height 4.7 cm / 1.85 in.
Provenance: Aronson Antiques, Amsterdam
Similar examples
Several types of Amsterdam shoes are included in the collection of the Princessehof Ceramics Museum in Leeuwarden, including slippers and mules, executed in blue, blue and purple, and blue, yellow and purple (inv. nos. OKS 1986-055, OKS 2005-353 and 354, OKS 2010-035, OKS 2010-087). An AS-monogrammed shoe (for Adam Sijbel) is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-NM-10818). In the Bal collection in the Zeeuws Museum in Middelburg is a purple shoe with diaper-work (inv. no. AB0943). A pair of shoes with flowers and diaper-work in the Rust collection is in the Prinsenhof Museum in Delft (inv. no. 1266). In the collection catalogue of the Netherlands Open Air Museum in Arnhem, a pair of shoes in yellow and purple with flowers is depicted (Klijn, p. 161).
Explanatory note
Shoes in all shapes and sizes were part of the standard repertoire of almost all Delft potteries. Outside Delft, they were made in Harlingen potteries and in Amsterdam tile factories.
Delft shoes are shaped in a mould, Amsterdam shoes are partly shaped by hand. This manual process leaves other marks and can be easily distinguished from the ones made in a mould. Amsterdam shoes that were formed in a mould can be distinguished from the Delft examples by their decorations, colour combinations and occasionally by a signature or monogram. Decorations that are related to - or even identical with - those on tiles, tile pictures, plaques and other items from Amsterdam tile factories are an important indication of an Amsterdam origin. Examples of these are floral decorations and diaper-work.
Amsterdam shoes come in blue, purple, blue and purple, yellow and purple and blue, yellow and purple.
Literature
J.D. van Dam, ‘’Delfts’ uit de provincie. Aardewerk uit Hollandse tegelfabrieken’ in: Vormen uit Vuur, nr. 168/169 (1999/3-4), pp. 1-107
E.M.Ch.F. Klijn, Onbekend tinglazuuraardewerk. De collectie van het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, Arnhem 2003
