This white molded salt glaze basket and stand dates from what must have been the highpoint...
This white molded salt glaze basket and stand dates from what must have been the highpoint of English salt glaze production. Echoes of elaborate eighteenth century silver resonate in both the shapes of these pieces and the roccoco pattern of decoration.
Though ornate, the composition of the three dimensional molded pattern is rather simple: alternating sections of pierce work and basketweave framed in elaborate scrolls. A single band of this pattern decorates the edge of the undertray underscoring the vigorous scalloped shape. While the adaptation of the pattern to the basket appears complex, it is actually two rows of the same pattern stacked to create an all-over decoration.
The pattern, combined with the flaring, scalloped profile of the basket and delicate scrollwork handles on each end, achieves a roccoco sense of frivolity in its similarity to both the elaborate silver designs of the day and actual baskets.