Object Type
The print was one of a set of 12 entitled Proper Ornaments to be Engrav'd on Plate, dedicated to Richard Jones, Ist Earl of Ranelagh (1641-1712). It is printed by etching and stipple techniques. In etching, the design is made by drawing with a needle into the 'ground', a waxy substance coating the metal printing plate. Acid is used to eat through these lines into the plate, so creating the grooves that hold the ink from which the image is printed. The stippled flicks and dots, also made with an etching needle, create an illusion of planes and contours. Before printing, the engraver used an engraving tool called a burin on the dots to enhance their effect.

Designs & Designers
Charles de Moelder provided various decorative ornaments for goldsmiths in this set, including ideas for friezes, mouldings, frames, masks, keyhole plates and boxes. The designs were taken from French Baroque examples and often display ornate acanthus leaves, elaborately intertwined.

As this print was intended primarily for practical use by craftsmen, de Moelder has arranged the images in such a way that the complete decoration for a tureen is visible. He shows views of the side and top, with alternative designs for the handles and details of the lid. They were crammed in as best he could on the plate, since the print was essentially a set of detailed visual instructions rather than a well-composed picture.