Basin
Bernard Palissy (1510-1590) or a follower
Date: late 16th century
Place Made: France
Materials & Techniques: Painted and lead-glazed earthenware
Dimensions: 49.3cm x 31.7cm
Accession Number: The Wallace Collection, C174
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This dish or basin is over 400 years old and it was made in France by a man called Bernard Palissy. It was probably used to decorate a dining table.
This type of material is called earthenware. Earthenware is made from clay. Once it has been purified and formed into the correct shape it is heated in an oven called a kiln to make the clay hard.
Real plants and animals were used to make the decoration applied to this basin, enabling Palissy to create decoration that was as close as possible to nature. They were put in plaster and taken out when the plaster dried. This left a hole called a mould. Clay was then put into the mould to make exactly the same shape as the animal or plant.
The basin was painted and then covered with a glaze that once fired makes the surface look shiny and makes the earthenware waterproof.
Teachers' Information
This is a typical example of Palissy’s work. He was very interested in the natural world and used it to inspire his artwork. He was able to get truer colours by using translucent lead glazes and painting enamel colours beneath, and sometimes over, the glaze. Palissy’s work was innovative and is characterised by the deep colours of his lead glazes and his casting technique (using plants and animal carcasses). His style has been copied by later potters and was particularly popular during Victorian England.
Activities
1. Pupils could try to make their own Palissy dish using natural objects. Give each pupil a slab of clay or plasticine about 10-15cm diameter and 2cm thick. Pupils can then press objects such as sticks, leaves and shells into their slab (plastic creepy-crawlies and small plastic animals also work well for this). Encourage pupils to think about the arrangement of the objects to make a pleasing composition and also about varying the depth that each object is pressed in. When pupils are happy with their mould, use more clay or plasticine to build a wall around the edge of each slab, about 4cm high and thick and strong enough to hold liquid (check each pupil’s work to make sure there are no holes between the slab and the wall). Mix and pour plaster into each of the moulds (being mindful of plaster dust and taking any necessary safety precautions). After about an hour the plaster can be removed from the mould - the plasticine can be re-used, as can clay if kept damp. The plaster Palissy dishes can then be painted after about a week to let the plaster dry properly.
2. Palissy’s earthenware is known for its rustic look. You could press flowers and print from leaves onto paper plates (or make your own papier-mâché plates). Older children could collect other natural objects such as twigs and stones and use it to create a sculptural centrepiece for a dining table.