Elaborate centrepieces were a feature of eighteenth-century fine dining tables. They would be accompanied by equally colourful and elaborate tureens, sauceboats and salts. Figural features are often found on earthenware and porcelain dining items and themes of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were very popular. The tin-glazed earthenware (‘fayence’) centrepiece here has a figure of Triton forming the stand for a dish which probably held sweetmeats or possibly fruits. Triton was the son of Poseidon, god of the sea and his consort Amphritite. Triton is usually depicted as a merman, half man and half fish.

This Triton centrepiece was produced at the fayence factory in Holíc. Holíc, or ‘Holitsch’ in Hungarian, was formerly part of the Hungarian Empire. It is now in Slovakia, independent from Czechoslovakia since 1993. Holíc is a town on the western border of the country and has a pottery-making tradition dating back to at least the 17th century. In 1743 a fayence, tin glazed earthenware, factory was established under the patronage of Francis I, consort of the Hapsburg Empress Maria Theresa.

With their bold, swirling forms and bright colouring, many of the fayence products of the Holíc factory bear a strong similarity to Strasbourg fayence, particularly to those of the Paul Hannong workshop. Strasbourg was part of the Duchy of Lorraine, Francis’ ancestral lands. Although Francis relinquished his right to the Duchy upon his marriage to the empress, he still retained contact with his ancestral lands and it is likely that he encouraged workers from Strasbourg to assist in the establishment of his fayence works in Holíc.