This ring bowl is an interesting example of reusing and repurposing in the 19th century. It is made from a Chinese porcelain saucer, made in the mid-18th century for the European market, which was converted into a ring tray in late 19th Century by adding a crescent moon-shaped silver ring holder. The saucer would have been part of a set of cups and saucers belonging to a wealthy Dutch household.
The Chinese technique to produce porcelain remained a mystery to the rest of the world for many centuries. Porcelain first arrived in Europe in 1602, in the harbor of Amsterdam. The Dutch had raided a Portuguese ship, (the first of many), with Chinese porcelain on board and bought their loot back home. From the 17th Century, there was a huge interest in Chinese porcelain and ships filled with porcelain and spices brought wealth to many European cities.
Around the beginning of the 18th century, Europeans had worked out how to make porcelain and Chinese porcelain started to lose its exclusivity. In the Netherlands, it became common practice to repurpose porcelain and add silver handles and lids, often because parts of the sets had broken or vanished over the years. This silver ring holder shows how antiques have always been cherished and cared for.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 11.5 cm diameter, 5 cm high.
Age: The saucer was made in the 18th Century, the conversion was made in the 19th Century, also known as the Victorian era, circa 1870s.
Material: the crescent is hallmarked with a Dutch hallmark for 835 silver, used between 1814 and 1905.
Condition: This ring bowl is in good antique condition only minor with wear, consistent with its age. The rim of the saucer has one fleabite, which can be seen in the pictures.
Please note that this shop is based in the EU. Buyers from outside the EU might be subject to import taxes. The rings depicted are not part of the listing.