At the heart of the composition, a Zotje, a cheerful or foolish boy, approaches the graceful Lange Lijs, who stands poised with a tray amidst fluttering birds and insects. Around them, the painter has created a delightful garden setting: a table set with vases of flowers, a delicately rendered fence, and, beyond tasseled drapery, a pagoda rising against the sky. The scene is alive with movement, yet perfectly balanced within the circular frame of the dish, demonstrating the painter’s mastery of narrative and decoration alike.

The subject may ultimately have been inspired by depictions of Xi Wang Mu, the Queen Mother of the West, a divine figure in Chinese mythology associated with immortality and the celestial garden of paradise. Traditionally portrayed surrounded by attendants and flowering trees, Xi Wang Mu was celebrated as a guardian of longevity and harmony. It is possible that this Delft painter, working from East Asian models, translated such imagery into a playful and distinctly Dutch idiom, transforming a legendary goddess into an engaging scene of courtly grace.

Measuring 34.5 cm (13.6 in.) in diameter, this dish is notable for its impressive size, as this particular design is more commonly found on smaller examples. It once formed part of the Dr. Günther Grethe Collection in Hamburg, a provenance that underlines its quality and significance.

Comparable examples include a larger version, measuring 40 cm (15.75 in.), in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag (inv. no. 0400276), and a ribbed bowl with similar decoration, also marked APK, in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-NM-12400-301), with a smaller diameter of 26 cm (10.2 in.).

This dish stands as a superb example of early eighteenth-century Delftware at its most cosmopolitan, an object where Dutch artistry, Asian inspiration, and the spirit of storytelling meet in perfect harmony.

LARGE IMARI DISH
Delft, circa 1710

Marked APK for Pieter Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1701 to 1703, or his widow, Johanna van der Heul, who continued the business until 1722.

Link to this dish in our webshop

From the late seventeenth century onwards, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) played a decisive role in shaping European taste. As the supply of Chinese porcelain was interrupted by political unrest, the Company shifted much of its porcelain trade to Japan. Among the most coveted imports was Japanese Kakiemon porcelain, admired for its delicate palette and refined imagery of birds, plants, and sometimes even exotic animals. While initially costly and rare, these wares quickly became a source of inspiration for the Delft potters.

In Delft, the Kakiemon style was not copied literally, but creatively adapted to Western forms and tastes. The delicate tied sheaves of grain, sprouting bamboo, pine, and prunus blossoms so typical of the Japanese examples were translated into fuller, more continuous patterns that completely enveloped the Delft objects. This not only enhanced their decorative appeal but also reflected the economic logic of the period: the more richly an object was painted, the more expensive it became.

Such butter tubs—luxury items intended to grace the dining table—are therefore a fascinating testimony to the cultural dialogue between East and West in the eighteenth century. They demonstrate how Delft potters took inspiration from the exclusivity of Japanese porcelain and transformed it into their own imaginative interpretations. While their Kakiemon counterparts were precious imports reserved for the wealthy few, Delftware offered a more accessible yet equally elegant alternative, imbued with local creativity and craftsmanship.

Dimensions
Width of stands: 18.7 cm. (7.4 in.)

€ 18.500 (US$ 21,000 export*)
incl. shipping
(*excl. local taxes, if applicable)

Webshop

Blue and White Cartouche-shaped Rectangular Tray
Delft, circa 1760

Decorated in the center with a man and women around a garden table with a draped table cloth, drinking and smoking pipe, trees behind the figures under a cloudy sky, the raised rim decorated with lambrequin ornaments consisting of demi-flowers and foliates, alternated with trellis.

DIMENSIONS
Width: 30.5 cm. (12 in.) Hight 27 cm. (10.6 in.)

SIMILAR EXAMPLE
A slightly later tray of the same shape, painted with a biblical scene was sold at Christie’s in November 2012. The tray is painted with the same details of grass and foliate elements, facial characteristics and the distinctive light center of the trees.

€3.500 (US$3,700)*

(*) export prices denoted with shipment by us outside of the European Union, price including packing and shipping, please contact us for details.

D2499
Commemorative plate
Delft, circa 1831

Diameter: 22,6 cm. (8.9 in.)

PROVENANCE
Private collection The Hague

€ 4.500 (for export to U.S. $ 4,600)
More information

(*) export prices denoted with shipment by us outside of the European Union, price including packing and shipping, please contact us for details.

Renowned photographer Cecil Beaton, celebrated for capturing the essence of beauty and sophistication, left an indelible mark on the world of photography. His lens, known for its discerning eye, skillfully portrayed subjects in a way that transcended mere imagery.

One captivating photograph by Beaton showcases the timeless elegance of Nancy Lancaster. An influential figure in the world of interior design, Lancaster’s love for filling rooms with flowers is beautifully illustrated through towering geraniums in the entry hall of Haseley Court. Lancaster bought Haseley Court, an 18th century house in Oxfordshire, in 1954. But there’s more to this photograph than meets the eye.

Lancaster stands beside one of a pair of late 17th century Delftware display vases, produced by Adrianus Kocx, the esteemed owner of The Greek A factory from 1686 to 1701. These Delftware treasures were acquired by Robert’s grandfather, adding a touch of historical richness to the composition. Notably, these vases now find a home at the Prinsenhof Museum after being sold to the municipality of Delft.

This connection to Dutch Delftware adds a layer of cultural significance to Beaton’s photographic narrative. The intertwining of Lancaster’s refined taste and the historical resonance of the Delftware vases creates a visual dialogue between different epochs, seamlessly captured by Beaton’s lens.

This photograph was discovered while researching the provenance of this Delftware pyramidal flower vase, circa 1690 from his estate.

The history of the use of manganese

Manganese dioxide was used as a pigment for cave paintings as early as 17,000 years ago. Two black minerals have been discovered in the region of the Magnetes, an area known as Magnesia previously in Greece, and today known as Magnesia ad Sipylum in Turkey. The minerals were both called ‘magnes’  from their place of origin, but they were considered to differ in sex. The female magnes was later called magnesia, and now is known as pyrolusite, or manganese dioxide. The male component of magnes attracted iron. This iron ore is now known as lodestone or magnetite. The female magnes ore did not attract iron and was used to (de)colorize glass by the Romans and Egyptians. In Greece the Spartans used manganese in alloy with iron for a better malleability which eased the production of iron implements. Still today, manganese is a very important element for the production of iron and stainless steel.

As for ceramics, manganese is a colorant used to achieve black, brown and purple. It was used by pre-Columbian civilizations, such as the Mayans and early cultures in the Middle East to decorate pre- and early Islamic ceramics. It is also found on Hispano-Moresque pottery, which subsequently inspired majolica. It is thus no surprise that manganese is one of the five elementary colors on majolica. 

Sources of inspiration

The influence of Chinese porcelain on Delftware is irrefutable. It inspired the immensely popular blue and white Delftware, Imari, Cashmere and objects decorated with Petit Feu colors. However, no group of Asian examples is known to have inspired the rise of ‘Delft Purple’. 

With ceramics being produced in many places surrounding the Netherlands, the source, or sources of inspiration, would have been more likely European or even simply Dutch. There were two different groups of manganese, or partly manganese ceramics made in the sixteenth and early seventeenth century that are interesting to highlight: manganese sprinkled wares and Portuguese faience. 

Sprinkled wares were made to imitate German salt-glazed stoneware, which were popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth century. A specific, but small group known as the ‘Malling group’ is one particular example. The Malling group includes a small range of vessels with a distinctive sprinkled monochrome blue or manganese decoration from circa 1550. The term ‘Malling’ originates from the discovery of similar jugs at or near the West Malling Church in Kent, England. One vessel was used as an altar piece and two jugs were recorded in the area surrounding the church. The jugs are generally considered to be English, and may even be the earliest form of English Delftware. Nowadays, however, scholars have considered a Dutch origin. The collection of The British Museum contains a manganese sprinkled jug with a London assayed, silver mount dated 1549-1550. The jug itself was made in Antwerp. Another silver-mounted jug is part of the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum and described as made in the Netherlands. The sprinkling technique spread and later examples can be found. A Southwark sprinkled mug, with the inscription ‘1628 ELIZABETH BROCKLEHURST’ in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum collection is a fine example of English sprinkled ware of a later date. This sprinkling technique could be related to the popularity of the color manganese in Delft. The possible connection can be substantiated as follows.

Majolica was the source of business for many of the Delft potters before they switched to the refined and new blue and white Delft faience, therefore Delft potters must have already been familiar with the use of manganese. Archival material from the Delft factory the Porceleyne Lampetkan (Porcelain Ewer) mentions purple as ‘kleine kleur’ (small color) in combination with green, yellow and red in a document from 1657. Around the 1640s however, the first Dutch tiles were made with a complete or at least substantial manganese sprinkled surface. An example can be found in the so-called ‘gesprenkelde zesster’ (sprinkled six star). Production must have been very modest, given the small number of remnants of purple tiles from this period. The sprinkled purple fashion further developed around 1660 when tiles with a (partly) sprinkled purple decor became part of the regular assortment, especially in Rotterdam. At first, there was a clear preference for sprinkled decorations. By the turn of the century, production of manganese colored tiles in numerous styles took off. This was earlier than the popularity of ‘Delft purple’ objects, which occurred in larger numbers in the period after 1750. In the second half of the eighteenth century, the production of tiles with a manganese decoration even surpassed that of blue and white tiles. While the production of manganese purple Delft faience never dominated, it did secure a distinct place in the assortment.

There are several examples of early tile production by Delft factories. The Delft factory known as ‘De Romeyn’ (The Roman) produced tiles as early as 1608. An act from the same year mentions that Cornelis Rochusz, owner of ‘De Romeyn’ at that time, had sold 44 tiles to the city of Delft. There is also evidence of tile production in the Delft potteries ‘De Ham’ (The Ham) and ‘De Witte Ster’ (The White Star). There was also a coproduction of tiles and faience in areas outside of Delft. There are multiple examples from Rotterdam, which had one of the most significant tile industries in the Netherlands. The faience made in tile companies is mentioned as an independent side product and is called ‘tegelbakkersfaience’ (tile makers faience) by Jan Daan van Dam. The physical proximity of both industries make it plausible, or at least attractive to assume, that there must have been a direct influence from the tile industry that laid the foundation for further development of the use of manganese. The possible advantages offered by the use of manganese on tiles could have easily been applied to faience, due to the great similarities in the production process. This assumption is confirmed when looking at the remains of the production of various companies from Rotterdam that made both tiles and ‘tegelbakkersfaience’. Sprinkled lobbed dishes, that have the same decorations as tiles, were made as early as 1660. The cross-pollination of techniques between Delft and Rotterdam, was certainly enhanced by the close contact between entrepreneurs in the tile- and faience business in both cities. It is a field that deserves more research.

Another group of faience to look at more closely in this context is one from Portugal. Chinese porcelain was traded in Portugal starting in the sixteenth century. The trade influenced decoration from the beginning, resulting in Portuguese chinoiserie faience. Portuguese faience has been imported to the Netherlands since the 1620s. Based on archeological finds, the import was concentrated around Dutch coastal cities, suggesting a robust overseas trading network. Dutch merchants were in regular contact with the Portuguese. So-called ‘zouthaalders’ (salt collectors), for example, collected salt from the Portuguese harbor city Setúbal. In addition to salt, Dutch merchants brought back all kinds of Portuguese products on their long journey home. The inclusion of ceramics is proven by archaeological finds of Portuguese faience in several Dutch harbor cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Hoorn and Enkhuizen. A Portuguese dish dated 1660, decorated with blue and manganese purple, is a good example of this interaction. The Portuguese faience that has been found in the Netherlands is relatively modest in quantity, but it still deserves attention. For example, the first Dutch attempts to copy Chinese porcelain are closely related to their Portuguese counterparts. A connection between the somewhat later blue and manganese Portuguese faience and a similarly decorated group of Delftware therefore seems very likely.

Decorations in blue and manganese regularly appear in Portugal since circa 1650. This was earlier than the first Delft faience with this type of decoration. Objects painted in blue and manganese, or with a so-called ‘paarse trek’ (purple outlines) are seen by the 1670s in the Netherlands. A nice example is a dish, formerly in the Aronson collection, marked SVE for Samuel van Eenhoorn, owner of the Griekse A factory from 1678-1685. According to Ressing and Van Dam, the dish was possibly an imitation of underglaze red Ming wares. Since this type of Chinese porcelain must have been a rarity in the Netherlands, it is much more likely that Dutch potters were inspired by the Portuguese manganese-blue wares. It resembles, although of much finer quality, the earlier Portuguese group quite closely. 

The urge for innovation

There were multiple factors involved in the rise of ‘Delft purple’. The production of the traditional Delft Blue and White wares was undoubtedly an economical choice given the large market for it. After a period of civil unrest in China halted importation from 1620-1683, the market was once again flooded with Chinese porcelain. This impacted Delft potters, as Chinese porcelain was now cheaper and more readily available than before. The demand for Delftware further decreased due to the importation of the harder and cheaper English creamware and elegant German porcelain. In addition, France, the Southern Netherlands and especially England began to protect their own growing pottery industries, which caused a decline of the Delftware export market. This increased the competition between Delftware companies throughout the eighteenth century. Price fixing and a compulsory winter closure had to counteract price competition and overproduction. Innovation was crucial for the survival of the Delft factories.

Delft potteries innovated with reduced costs and tapping into possible new markets. Another theory that still needs further research is the use of manganese by Delft potters as a source of new income. Based on one source, the price of manganese was much lower than that of cobalt. A valuation of materials, found in the archives of ‘De Porceleyne Schotel’ (Porcelain Ewer) dating from 1647, shows the significant difference in costs between manganese and cobalt: 656 pounds of ‘paers’ (purple) were acquired for f7-10st per 100 ‘huisgewicht’ (house weight) against f.30 per 100 ‘huisgewicht’ for cobalt.  Even ‘fijn wit’, what must refer to the basic ingredient to create tin-glaze was calculated at f27, which was much more than the price for ‘purple’.

The tile industry also greatly profited from the export business and changed with shifting styles. Many tiles, both blue and white and manganese have been used in all parts of the world, from Europe to North America, The Middle East and Asia. In the last quarter of the eighteenth century, a change in taste occurred with the Louis XVI style, named for the French King Louis the XVI. Pastel colors predominated, allowing the soft manganese to seamlessly blend with the new interiors. It is likely that this stylistic shift created greater interest in the purple-colored faience. Manganese was also increasingly used elsewhere in Europe for decoration on ceramics, particularly in German porcelain, as well as ceramics made in Scandinavia, France and Britain.

‘Delft purple’ is an important group within the oeuvre left behind by the Delft pottery factories. Based on this exploratory research, we can cautiously conclude that the rise of monochrome Delft pottery was caused by the use of manganese in the tile industry in the seventeenth century, which in turn was influenced by manganese-blue Portuguese faience. The production of monochrome purple was revived by the need for cheaper production methods from the first half of the eighteenth century, later reinforced by a change in taste in the last quarter of the eighteenth century.

Further research into the availability and costs of manganese-containing raw materials, as well as an examination of the demand side, will hopefully provide more insights into the rise of the use of ‘Delft purple.’

Footnotes
1)  Edwin Atlee Barber, Ph, ‘Hispano-Moresque Pottery in the collection of the Hispanic Society of America’ p. 277
(2) British Museum, Inventory number AF.3137: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_AF-3137
(3)   Fitzwilliam Museum, inventory number 71888: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/71888
(4)  Victoria and Albert Museum, inventory number C.271-1918: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O8076/mug-unknown/
(5)   Hoekstra-Klein, part 11, p.57
(6)   Pluis, 2013, p.273, ill. A.01.20.07
(7)   Jager, de I, 2009, p.19 and p.95
(8)   Hoekstra-Klein, part 13, p. 42
(9)   Dam, J.D van, in Jager, I de, 2009 p.148
(10) Dam, J.D. van p.148
(11) Jaspers and S. Ostkamp, 2014, p.15
(12) Archeologie in West-Friesland 12
(13) Exhibited in the Amsterdam Museum from December 1987 until February 1988 and mention in Salinas Calado, e Baart, pp.90-91
(14) Jaspers & Ostkamp, 2014, p.18
(15) Historical Archeology 33, p.62
(16) Ressing and Van Dam, ‘Vormen uit Vuur’, 2002/3, p.32
(17) Lahaussois, 2008, p.32
(18) Bergvelt, 2002, p. 153
(19) Aken-Fehmers, M.S., L.A. Schledorn, 1999, p. 38
(20) Aken-Fehmers, M.S., L.A. Schledorn, 1999, p. 38
(21) Hoekstra-Klein, part 18, 2011, p. 76.
(22) f. refers to florijn meaning a guilder and ‘st’. to stuiver, being 1/20 of a guilder.

Bibliography

Aken-Fehmers, M.S. van, L.A. Schledorn, A.- G. Hesselink, T.M. Eliëns, Delfts aardewerk. Geschiedenis van een nationaal product, Volume II, Zwolle/Den Haag (Gemeentemuseum) 1999

Archeologie in West-Friesland 12. Gemeente Hoorn. Portugese pracht uit de Westfriese Gouden Eeuw, 2014

Bergvelt, Jonker, Wiechman (red.), Schatten in Delft. Burgers verzamelen 1600-1750, Zwolle/Delft (Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof) 2002

Dam, J.D. van, ‘Tegelbakkersfaience’ in Ingrid de Jager, Nora Schadee (Red), Tegels uit Rotterdam 1609-1866′, Uitgeverij Aprilis, Historisch Museum Rotterdam, 2009

Hoekstra-Klein, Wik, ‘Geschiedenis van de Delftse Plateelbakkerijen’, deel 11, Projectgroep Delfts Aardewerk, Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof Delft, 2005

Hoekstra-Klein, Wik, ‘Geschiedenis van de Delftse Plateelbakkerijen’, deel 13, Projectgroep Delfts Aardewerk, Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof Delft, 2007

Hoekstra-Klein, Wik, ‘Geschiedenis van de Delftse Plateelbakkerijen’, deel 18, Projectgroep Delfts 

Aardewerk, Stedelijk Museum Het Prinsenhof Delft, 2011

Jager Ingrid de, Nora Schadee (Red), Tegels uit Rotterdam 1609-1866′, Uitgeverij Aprilis, Historisch Museum Rotterdam, 2009

Jaspers N.L. and S. Ostkamp, ‘De opkomst en neergang van Portuguese import’ in Vormen uit Vuur 226, 2014/3

Lahaussois, Christine, ‘Delfts Aardewerk’, Mercatorfonds, Brussel en Amsterdam, 2008

Pluis, Jan, ‘De Nederlandse Tegel’, Primavera Pers, Leiden, 2013

Salinas Calado, Rafael e Jan Baart, Faiança Portuguesa 1600-1660, Lisboa, Amsterdão, SSP, 1987

The ‘star (I)DB’ mark that regularly appears on objects is one mark that we believe deserves renewed research. Mrs. Hoekstra attributed the mark to Jan van der Burgh (interpreting the initials as JVDB), who was registered as foreman of De Witte Ster since 1705 (3). In the same publication however, this mark is also attributed to Jacoba de Bergh, co-owner since 1742 until 1761 (4). For unknown reasons, nowadays it is assumed to be the mark of Dirck van den Berg, owner of De Witte Ster from 1776 until 1793 (5).

We uncovered a discrepancy in the previous attributions during our research for the article ‘Delft and Disaster,’ which discusses a commemorative plate for the earthquake of 1692. Coincidently, we discovered two similar ‘earthquake plates’ that commemorate a later earthquake in 1756. Both of these plates are marked with ‘star DB’. If these plates were actually made during the ownership of Dirck van den Berg, they would have been produced much later than the earthquake in 1756. In our article, we explain that commemorative objects were often made much later than the event itself. However, this seems unlikely in this case if we compare stylistic features of these plates. That makes the attribution to Dirck van den Berg questionable.

Earthquake plate from a private collection

      
Earthquake plate from the collection of Mazereeuw Antiquair

There are in fact two (or three if we count the ‘JVDB’ interpretation of Hoekstra) of the ‘star (I)DB’ marks: one with a dot on the ‘D’, that could be seen as ‘star IDB’ and one without, ‘star DB’. A systematic comparison based on style, period and in a few cases also a date, show that it is very likely that the Star (I)DB mark was used simultaneously during the same ownership. The variation in marks could also refer to different persons involved with De Witte Ster in this period. In our opinion, the attribution of the ‘star (I)DB’ mark to Dirk van den Berg is incorrect. The examples below support this theory. 

The objects below, all marked with ‘star (I)DB’ show features that share stylistic similarities with earlier objects made during the ownership of Johanna, Jacoba and Maria, between 1743 and 1761, rather than during that of Dirck van den Berg (1776-1793). 

A pair of polychrome cows in the collection of the Kunstmuseum, Den Haag (Art Museum, The Hague) for example, bear the same ‘star DB’ mark. This model of cow figures with flat grounds, are known since the first quarter of the eighteenth century and this pair is more likely earlier than now assumed (6).

     
Pair of polychrome cows, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, object number 1025975

A butter tureen from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is stylistically comparable with the 1756 earthquake plates and the herring dish below. They also bear the same ‘star (I)DB’ mark. Based on the style of the decoration, these objects were probably made in the middle of the eighteenth century, during the ownership of the De Bergh sisters, rather than during the period when Dirck van der Berg owned the company.

     
Butter Tureen, MFA Boston, inv. nr 95.317-c

       
Herring dish, private collection

This attribution is supported by two identical plates depicting the Mats Man mill in Koog aan de Zaan, dated 1747. Both plates were previously part of the Aronson Antiquairs collection. The owner of the Mats Man, Claas Mats, received a so called ‘windbrief’ (windletter), permission to build the mill, together with a description of the conditions he had to adhere to, in 1747. This must have been the reason for the production of this plates. In that period De Witte Ster was owned by the sisters, Johanna, Jacoba and Maria de Bergh. ‘Star (I)DB’ is, as already suggested by Hoekstra, very likely referring to them: I for Jacoba or Johanna and  ‘DB’ for De Bergh. Interestingly, one plate is marked with a dot above the ‘D’, so ‘star IDB’ while the other lacks this dot. The fact that the plates are identical and dated make it likely that they were produced at the same time, during the same directorship.

           
Two ‘Mats Man’ plates, formerly Aronson collection inventory number ref. D1256 and D1454

The same applies to this pike tureen, marked ‘Star DB’ without the dot. These types of tureens were made since the middle of the eighteenth century. Based on the design and lack of Rococo features, this particular tureen was probably an early example. Therefore, it fits perfectly within the period that the De Bergh sisters owned the Witte Ster.

    
Pike Tureen, private collection

The variant ‘Star DVDB’ is mentioned by Hoekstra and attributed to Dirck van den Berg (7).  This attribution is shared in several publications about Delftware (8). This conclusion is also supported by multiple stylistic examples.

    
Pair of bowl, Kunstmuseum Den Haag, object number 0400242

   
Polychrome cow group, private collection

Due to unknown reasons, the ‘star (I)DB’ mark has been wrongly attributed to Dirck van den Berg in many cases. Based on style, the marked objects were likely made during the ownership of the De Bergh sisters in the middle of the eighteenth century. Objects made while Dirck van den Berg owned the Witte Ster between 1776 and 1793 are marked with his full initials: ‘star DVDB’.

Notes:
1. Wik Hoekstra-Klein, Geschiedenis van Delftse plateelbakkerijen, Deel 14, De Witte Starre, 2007, p. 48
2. Hoekstra, p. 48
3. Hoekstra, p. 52
4. Hoekstra, p. 58
5. Marion S. van Aken -Fehmers and Loet Schleldorn, Delfts Aardewerk. Geschiedenis van een Nationaal Product. Deel II, Waanders Uitgevers, Zwolle 2001, p. 246
6. https://aronson.com/object/d2049-pair-of-blue-and-white-cows/
7. Hoekstra, p. 49
8. Christine Lahaussois, ‘Delfts Aardewerk’,Amsterdam University Press / Mercatorfonds, 2008, p. 221 and van Aken -Fehmers ibid., p. 246

This plaque is a great example of the trompe l’oeil (deceive the eye) technique. “A trompe l’oeil is meant to create an optic illusion. Already in the Roman period, people enjoyed being deceived with art. In the remains of Pompeï trompe l’oeils have been discovered. For example on a wall, depicting a painted window with a view on an imaginary garden.”

The blue and white rectangular images of sea and landscapes painted on the yellow ground resemble postcards or tiles scattered atop a plaque. While the painter certainly demonstrated artistic license in the detailed compositions, they are most likely based on prints, either collected by the potteries for use in its ceramics, or supplied by a client for a special commission. Various types of prints were available to Delft artists during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, such as woodcuts, etchings, and engravings. It was not uncommon for artists and painters to freely borrow imagery from these print sources. The reuse of printed images both reflected and determined contemporary styles and tastes, as well as being instructive for the artisans.

“In The Netherlands it was painter and writer Samuel van Hoogstraten (Dordrecht, 1627-1678) who was the first to experiment with the trompe l’oeil technique in still life painting. In his ‘Inleyding tot de hooge schoole der schilderkonst uit 1678’ he advises young painters to focus on painting flat objects on flat surfaces. His pupil Cornelis van der Meulen (1642-1691/92) was one of the artists who followed his advice. With success. His high quality trompe l’oeil work brought him to Stockholm, where he became a painter at the Swedish court.”

For Delft potters, they probably took inspiration from seventeenth and eighteenth century still life paintings as from Samuel van Hoogstraten and Cornelis van der Meulen, among many others, with highly realistic details such as notes, drawings, and letters. As can be seen on this plaque, the overlapping scenes with depth and realism create an optical illusion. The composition and subject are reminiscent of the popular Delft dishes and bowls painted with playing cards. One such plate is illustrated in Lahaussois 1994, p. 80, no. 99, who comments on p. 96 that it was the Delft potters who can be credited with the idea of trompe l’oeil decoration of playing cards on ceramics, a style that became popular in the Netherlands from about 1730. It continued in popularity particularly on French faience throughout the second half of the eighteenth century, and on faïence fine (refined cream-colorer earthenware) and English porcelain in the early nineteenth century.

Polychrome Shield-shaped Plaque
Delft, circa 1760

Height: 37.8 cm. (14.9 in.)

Price: € 24.000 (Export: USD $ 25,000*)
(Link to webshop)

(*) export prices denote shipment organised by us outside of the European Union, price excluding packing and shipping, please contact us for details.

Unlike his contemporaries, whose production is characterized by horror vacui, Lambertus Cleffius preferred spare decoration, as can be seen on this ewer. Although the shape was already known in the Netherlands in silver or pewter in the early seventeenth century, it is thought that the Delft potters adopted the shape from Nevers faience models, which in turn had borrowed their inspiration from Italy.

Italian faience examples of this shape, with additional grotesque masks on the body beneath the handle, have been excavated in Holland. The twisted handles and chinoiserie decoration, which can be seen also on Nevers, show a closer resemblance to the Delft versions. Trading between Delft and French ceramic centers did exist as early as 1665, when Willem Cleffius, the father of Lambertus, together with Wouter van Eenhoorn, tried to collect payments due from the brothers Révérand, French dealers who had bought Delftware.

The Nevers prototypes for these ewers, referred to as aiguières religieuses, are thought to have had a similar ecclesiastical use. The Delft ewers of this type, however, seem to have had a secular, decorative function, and some even have a royal connection. In the garden of Palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, adjacent to the cellar dairy of Queen Mary II (1662-1694), fragments of a ewer with a similar handle and top of the neck have been excavated.

D1029. Blue and White Bottle Ewer
Delft, circa 1685

Marked LC and X in blue for Lambertus Cleffius, the owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1679 to 1691, and with a molded numeral VI

The ovoid body painted on the front with a bird perched on a blade of grass arching over a rock amidst peonies and bamboo, and on the sides with a bird either similarly perched on a grass amidst chrysanthemums, or flitting above a flowering prunus branch, all beneath a border of six ruyi-heads on the shoulder, the flaring cylindrical neck with a foliate device beneath the fringed spout and affixed at the back with a rope-twist handle, and the domed foot with two floral sprigs alternating with two ruyi-head devices issuing scrolls.

Dimensions
Height: 20.6 cm. (8 1/8 in.)

Price: € 6.500 (export $ 7,000)
(Link to this pair Delftware ewer in our webshop)

The delicate grand feu decoration on this pair of vases was in the middle of the 19th century given the descriptive title ‘cashmere’ for its likeness in color, and exotic, dense motifs to the fine woolen shawls that were imported from India and worn by high-class European ladies. As can be seen on the present vases, the earthenware of this category has a reeded surface with a color scheme of blue, red and green. Although the Delft pieces were named after the fashionable textiles, the Delft potters were in fact inspired by the Chinese famille verte porcelain wares of the Kangxi period (1662-1722), which arrived in Europe at the end of the seventeenth century. Delftware painters also looked beyond China for further inspiration in designing cashmere pieces.

One such design source was the French baroque style that reigned during the age of King Louis XIV. Characteristic for this is the delicate use of arabesques and whimsical grotesques that originally derived from the Renaissance, and the combination of foliage with human and animal forms that prefigured the Rococo movement. Moreover, multiple garlands of flowers, draperies, scrolls, and pendants were added in order to form magnificent embroidered motifs. Since the production of these elaborate reeded pieces was probably too expensive, the cashmere palette enjoyed a brief, yet widespread success during the first half of the eighteenth century.

The addition of yellow in this palette is rarely seen.

D1593. Pair of Cashmere Reeded Vases
Delft, circa 1700

Unidentified DP mark in blue on the bases both vases

The pear-shaped bodies painted with flowers on two sided within wraths.

Dimensions
Height: 13 cm. (5.1 in.)

Price: € 3.500 (export $ 4,000)
(Link to this pair Delftware cashmere vases in our webshop)