Description
Mule with flowers in purple and blue Amsterdam, 1740-1760
The mule has a pointed nose and a high vamp. It is painted in blue and purple with flowers. A band with dots is applied in blue just below the edge of the shaft. The heel and sole are in purple.
Dimensions: length 13 cm / 5.11 in., width 4.6 cm / 1.81 in., height 4.7 cm / 1.85 in.
Provenance: Aronson Antiques, Amsterdam
Shoes in all shapes and sizes were part of the standard repertoire of almost all Delft potteries. Outside Delft, they were made in Harlingen potteries and in Amsterdam tile factories. Delft shoes are shaped in a mould, Amsterdam shoes are partly shaped by hand. This manual process leaves other marks and can be easily distinguished from the ones made in a mould. Amsterdam shoes that were formed in a mould can be distinguished from the Delft examples by their decorations, colour combinations and occasionally by a signature or monogram. Decorations that are related to – or even identical with – those on tiles, tile pictures, plaques and other items from Amsterdam tile factories are an important indication of an Amsterdam origin. Examples of these are floral decorations and diaper-work.
Amsterdam shoes come in blue, purple, blue and purple, yellow and purple and blue, yellow and purple.
The shoe is in very good condition considering its age of 275 years. There are the usual edge damages the largest at the tip of the shoe.
