"This water pitcher was made in Barcelona towards the end of the 17th century or at the beginning of the 18th century. The water pitcher was used to keep water cool or hot, to wash dishes or to wash hands before and after eating. It was always accompanied by a basin and therefore it is considered the washbasin precursor.
The oldest hand basins are made of metal –copper or brass – or varnished clay.
This is a unique piece of art; it shows the same baluster form as the wash basins made in pottery, two curved handles in the upper section and moldings in the central section. The vegetal decorative motives are arranged in superimposed bands. The neck is particularly noteworthy, as it shows large tulips and chrysanthemums in negative. The rest of the decoration shows trees and branches of Oriental inspiration, and they are distributed asymmetrically. The vegetation frames rural houses and creates the background for the figures of hunters and musicians."
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