Seven Patacons In Pipe Clay, With Various Images, 19th Century

Flanders
19th century?

A series of Sept Patacons en terre à pipe, avec diverses images.

A patacon is a disk in baked pipe clay or plaster with images in bas relief, which were subsequently colored by hand. The patacons served as decorations for the Christmas and New Year's cakes ('vollaard'). The patacon was originally a Spanish silver coin (17th-18th century) with a value of about 48 stuivers, equivalent to €15. Such a decorated loaf was therefore a valued gift. The patacon disappeared as a coin, but the use and name survived with painted pipe clay discs. It often concerns a religious scene, a Christmas scene, or a saint, and sometimes animals, horsemen, and soldiers also appear.

The patacons are in good condition but with the signs of use as can be expected from this kind of objects.