JVV 0473
Delft, 1750-1780
White figure of a child in a rocking cradle with open hood. It sits upright under a blanket and holds the sides of the cradle with both hands.
Dimensions: length 13,5 cm / 5.31 in., width 9 cm / 3.54 in., height 11,5 cm / 4.52 in.
Similar examples
Similar white copies are in the Art Museum in The Hague (inv. no. 0452007), and in the Van Geenen collection (p. 153, no. 13.25).
Explanatory note
Figures of children in a rocking cradle are generally dated to the second half of the eighteenth century. They may have been inspired by plates, made at the birth of Prince William V in 1748, depicting a child in a cradle. At the time, the rocking cradles with children may also have been initially intended as an expression of support for the House of Orange. Separately, they were perfect gifts for a married couple to wish them a child-rich marriage.
Literature
L.-P. van Geenen, Delfts aardewerk, Merken en fabrieken. Dutch Delftware, Marks and factories. Fayence de Delft, Marques et usines, Hoorn 2017
