Nederlandse makelij - Bowl (3) - kom - Earthenware

Three antique Dutch bowls from the period 1750-1850.

The bowl with a horse is 4 cm high and 11.7 cm in diameter. The medium-sized one is 4 cm high and 11.6 cm. The smallest bowl is 5 cm high and 9.3 cm in diameter. I think all three are excavated finds. All three have been broken and restored. They are unmarked. All bowls have text.

alletijt Sporent bij nagt en dagg dat dit pouwretje niet behaagr.

When we convert this to modern spelling and parse its meaning, it reads: "Alletijd sporend bij nacht en dag dat dit pauwretje niet behaagt" What does this mean exactly?

Pauwretje (povertje): This is an old Dutch word for a 'miserable thing', 'shabby little creature', or 'poor wretch' (derived from the French pauvre). In this case it directly refers to the somewhat shabby, thin donkey depicted in the middle. Sporend: This means 'to work hard', 'to endure doing', or 'to toil'. The message: The text is a humorous and somewhat melancholic maxim (a typical folk saying on old earthenware). It means something like: "Day and night toiling and working hard, and yet this poor little creature is considered of little value (it does not please)." It refers to the thankless task of the donkey—or the person who plods like a donkey—whose hard work is never appreciated.

Theekommetje is the approximate age: late 18th century to the early 19th century (ca. 1780–1820).

This type of little bowl has a very specific historical background:
Style and Technique: The decoration is executed in Encre de Chine (fine black line drawing that resembles a pen sketch), combined with sepia- or brown-toned colors. This was around 1750–1800 a very popular method to apply detailed, often European scenes on ceramics.
The Image: The figure with a lance/staff from which a hat hangs (the 'Liberty hat' or Phrygian cap) represents the Dutch Madonna or Liberty. The inscription "Vrijheid" above confirms this.
Historical Context: This kind of dinnerware was frequently produced in the turbulent period of the Patriot struggle (ca. 1780–1787) and the Batavian Republic (1795–1806). Citizens expressed their political preferences through their tableware.

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