{"product_id":"n-v-de-sphinx-attributed-voortrekker-centenary-commemorative-bowl-1838-1938-city-of-johannesburg-issue","title":"N.V. De Sphinx (Attributed) | Voortrekker Centenary Commemorative Bowl | 1838–1938 | City of Johannesburg Issue","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eN.V. De Sphinx (Attributed) | Voortrekker Centenary Commemorative Bowl | 1838–1938 | City of Johannesburg Issue\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn object made to mark a centenary carries two dates at once — the event it commemorates and the moment it was made — and in this case, both remain visible.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Voortrekker Centenary of 1938 was one of the most significant commemorative movements in South African cultural history, marked by coordinated national events and a substantial output of civic and commercial material culture. Among these, ceramics produced in Europe for the South African market occupy a distinct position, particularly those issued through official municipal channels rather than retail distribution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis bowl belongs to that civic context. Issued by the City of Johannesburg as part of its centenary programme, it differs from the more commonly encountered retail examples through its municipal coat of arms and bilingual inscription. The absence of a base mark is consistent with export production, and the style, body and transfer technique support an attribution to N.V. De Sphinx of Maastricht, one of the Netherlands’ principal producers of transfer-printed earthenware for international markets during the early twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe form is a small footed bowl of hemispherical profile in cream-toned earthenware with a clear glazed interior. The exterior carries a continuous terracotta transfer-print depicting scenes associated with the Great Trek: ox-wagon processions moving through a stylised landscape, accompanied by mounted figures and livestock, interspersed with a representation of the Voortrekker Monument as it stood at the time of the centenary. A central cartouche presents a lit candle flanked by chains, above the dates 1838 and 1938 — a symbolic device referencing continuity and remembrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interior well is printed with the City of Johannesburg coat of arms and the motto “Fortiter et Recte,” encircled by the bilingual inscription “Stad Johannesburg \/ Voortrekker-Eeufees” and “City of Johannesburg \/ Voortrekker Centenary.” The print is sharp and evenly transferred throughout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bowl is in excellent condition. There are no chips, cracks or crazing. The transfer decoration remains crisp and fully legible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaker: N.V. De Sphinx, Maastricht (attributed)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssued by: City of Johannesburg\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOccasion: Voortrekker Centenary (1838–1938)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: Earthenware\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDecoration: Terracotta transfer-print with Great Trek scenes and commemorative cartouche\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterior mark: Johannesburg coat of arms with bilingual centenary inscription\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiameter: 11 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight: 6 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 180 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCondition: Excellent; no chips, cracks or crazing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollector Appeal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMunicipal-issued centenary wares are consistently less common than their retail counterparts, and this example benefits further from its small, intact form and sharply preserved transfer. The inclusion of the Johannesburg arms, combined with the depiction of the Voortrekker Monument during its formative stage, places it firmly within the immediate commemorative moment of 1938 rather than later retrospective production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe depiction of the monument as it was being realised — rather than as a completed symbol — gives the piece a particular immediacy. It records not only what was being remembered, but what was still in the process of becoming.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Dancing Faun ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45066998513864,"sku":null,"price":650.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0575\/3497\/2104\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_3a3ae9d7-ac19-4d02-b9c9-e59dde2da882.png?v=1777300983","url":"https:\/\/dancingfaun.co.za\/products\/n-v-de-sphinx-attributed-voortrekker-centenary-commemorative-bowl-1838-1938-city-of-johannesburg-issue","provider":"The Dancing Faun ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}