Ancient mythological stories featuring Greek and Roman gods have been leading sources of inspiration for painters since the Renaissance, when interest in the culture, philosophy and literature of classical antiquity skyrocketed. Mythological stories, in addition to Christian motifs, were widely depicted in the visual arts well into the Baroque and Rococo periods. Ovid’s Metamorphoses is…
Every month we present a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs’ collection. This month we would like to show you this blue and white plaque, from circa 1760. Made in the city of Rotterdam (probably Schiedamschedijk), the plaque shows two cobblers seated at their bench and sewing shoes. At their feet is a recumbent dog and a…
Delftware was produced in numerous forms and functions, some of which remain unclear today. One example of such objects are the so-called wig stands, which are designed as a sphere supported on a stem above a foot. The French, and especially King Louis XIV, dictated one of the most fashionable and unusual accessories of the…
Every month we present a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs’ collection. This month we would like to show you this blue and white model of a sleigh, from circa 1770, which is marked for De Klaauw (The Claw) factory. The sleigh ride was a quintessential, and often necessary form of winter entertainment. During treacherous winters, the…
The Eighty Years' War (1568-1648), or the Dutch War of Independence, transformed the Netherlands and gave birth to the Dutch Republic. The war grappled with freedom of religion and conscience, the right to self-determination and the right to participation. The leitmotif of the war was the emerging reformation and the fact that the Spanish king,…
De Porceleyne Fles (The Porcelain Bottle) factory was founded on the West side of the Oosteinde in the city of Delft around 1653. Of the more than thirty factories that once existed in Delft, this is the only one still operating today. De Porceleyne Fles is currently housed on the Rotterdamseweg. The factory was bought…
During the second half of the nineteenth century, there was a renewed interest in the decorative arts, and particularly ceramics. Dutch Delftware became a serious pursuit of study for art historians and collectors, and contemporary potters soon began producing Delftware replicas to satisfy demand. The Samson factory in Paris was among the producers of wares…
Every month we present you a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs’ collection. This month, we would like to show you this petit feu and gilded puzzle jug from circa 1730. The puzzle jug is one of the oldest jokes in the Delft potters’ continually playful repertoire. Puzzle jugs were intended as an amusing tavern game…
In 1794, Gerrit Paape wrote the treatise De Plateelbakker of Delftsch Aardewerkmaaker (‘The Faience Potter or Maker of Delftware’), in which he outlined many aspects of the eighteenth-century process of producing Delftware. This invaluable resource offers a step-by-step explanation of production, from the kinds of soil and all the workmen and their functions, to the…
Every month we present you a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs’ collection. This month, we would like to show you this plaque from circa 1745. Faience was made throughout Europe, yet until around 1900, anything that looked typically Dutch was labeled Delftware. It was not until between 1910 and 1920 that a reasonable distinction was…
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