Secretary

anonymous, c. 1780 - c. 1795

Many desks of this type, veneered with light-coloured woods, were made in the Netherlands. This example is unusual for its large plaquettes of jasperware, a fine-grained pottery that imitates carved stone. The plaquettes came from the factory of Josiah Wedgwood in England. Wedgwood stoneware was very popular in the Netherlands. Perhaps this secretary served as a showpiece for Wedgwood’s agent in Amsterdam.

  • Artwork typecase furniture, secretary
  • Object numberBK-1970-28
  • Dimensionsheight 150.5 cm x width 90.5 cm x depth 41.5 cm, width 83.5 cm x depth 39 cm
  • Physical characteristicseikenhout, belijmd met esdoorn- en satijnhout, biscuit aardewerk

Stories

A historic lesbian icon

Secretaire with image of Sappho

Secretary

Identification

  • Title(s)

    Secretary

  • Object type

  • Object number

    BK-1970-28

  • Description

    Secretaire belijmd met esdoorn- en satijnhout en andere houtsoorten en ingelegd met Wedgwood jasperware plaques op rechthoekige velden. De overhoeks geplaatste taps toelopende poten zijn bovenaan ingesnoerd. De deuren dragen twee smalle hoge plaques van Sappho en Flora; op de klep een grote ovale plaque met het huwelijk van Amor en Psyche. De lade bovenaan vertoont links en rechts een kleine ovale plaque met 'De leesles' en 'De naailes' naar ontwerp van Emma Crewe. Omlijstingen met effen en versierde gelakte velden.

  • Inscriptions / marks

    factory mark: ‘WEDGWOOD’

Creation

  • Creation

    • furniture maker (person): anonymous, Netherlands
    • porcelain company: Wedgwood, England
    • designer: Emma Crewe, England

  • Dating

    • c. 1780 - c. 1795
    • c. 1780 - c. 1790

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    eikenhout, belijmd met esdoorn- en satijnhout, biscuit aardewerk

  • Dimensions

    • height 150.5 cm x width 90.5 cm x depth 41.5 cm
    • width 83.5 cm x depth 39 cm

This work is about

  • Subject

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    Purchased with the support of the Stichting tot Bevordering van de Belangen van het Rijksmuseum

  • Acquisition

    purchase 1970

  • Copyright

    Public domain

Documentation

  • 'Wedgwood en Nederland in de 18de eeuw', Mededelingenblad Nederlandse Vereniging van Vrienden van de Ceramiek 106/107 (1982), p. 22, afb. 13.

Persistent URL

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