Bowl - Earthenware - Tortoise - Slip-Decorated

A Late Medieval/Early Renaissance Slip-Decorated Bowl.
Low Countries (Netherlands/Belgium) - Late 15th to Early 16th Century

A substantial earthenware bowl featuring a central depiction of a tortoise. Trailed slip decoration under a lead glaze. Rather than being incised, the decoration is applied using trailed slip (liquid clay), resulting in a smooth surface where the decoration lies flush with the base clay, unified under a translucent lead glaze.
The tortoise is stylized with a checkered shell, a common artistic shorthand in medieval folk art for representing texture. The rim is decorated with a series of slip-painted arches, a traditional motif used to frame the central image. The absence of incised lines suggests a painterly approach typical of workshops in the Low Countries, where slip-trailing was a highly developed craft.

Diameter = 28 cm
Height = 7.5 cm
Weight = 1725 g

In good condition. Normal traces of age and use. A few hairline cracks, but still a solid piece.
For a good impression, please watch all photos carefully.


Insured shipping.
Can also be collected in Ghent, Belgium.