English (Lambeth)
Barber's Bowl
About 1720
Tin-glazed earthenware
3-1/2 inches high, 10-1/4 inches in diameter
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George R. Steiner
96.36.6
The popularity of Chinese porcelain in Europe led Dutch and English manufacturers to imitate it by making blue and white TIN-GLAZED EARTHENWARE. They had not yet discovered the formula for porcelain production.
The design of the bowl unites images of tools of the English barber's trade (such as scissors, a razor and a comb) with bird and flower MOTIFS adapted from Chinese porcelain.
The shallow bowl with a semicircular opening
in its broad rim proved an essential barber's tool when held closely
against the neck of a man being shaved. When not in use, it hung on the
wall as a decoration.