In-depth Articles

Delftware is a popular term applied not only to tin-glazed earthenware made in the city of Delft, but in many other production centers within the Netherlands and beyond, especially in England. Starting in the early seventeenth century, English earthenware was called ‘Galleyware,’ later 'White Ware' and subsequently known as Delft or more common 'English Delftware'.…

In the 1690s, English courtiers ordered elaborate Delft flower vases and garden pots for display in their palaces and gardens filled with costly exotics as visual evidence of their loyalty to the new Dutch monarchs William III and Queen Mary II. Their inspiration was Hampton Court Palace, and in particular the pavilion, known as the…

In 1723 The Greek A Factory (De Grieksche A) made at least three plates depicting the ship De Jonge Nagtegaal (The Young Nightingale— nightingale being the translation of the Nagtegaal family’s name), two inscribed “schipper Henderik Jacobs Nagtegaal van Amelant Anno 1723 D 10 April” and one where Jacobs is spelled Jakos.1 The ship flies…

Besides the superb pieces of Delft earthenware on display in various museums and held by passionate private collectors, there are also items that will almost never find pride of place in a showcase or exhibition. We’re talking about broken, incomplete or failed pieces that have been discovered in the ground, for instance during archaeological excavations.…

A print by Pieter van den Berge from 1708 gives a perfect impression of the increasing popularity of drinking tea in the Dutch Republic in the course of the 17th century. With the practice the need for appropriate accoutrements also grew. As the print shows, tea was consumed slightly differently than today. Hot water was…

Exotic scenes on Delftware Warm, intense colors; rich, dense patterns; landscapes with lush plants and exotic animals, the pair of vases above exude an exotic feel. While they might not seem to be typically Dutch, you might be surprised because the vases were made in Delft around 1700, using the cashmere color palette. Characteristic of…

Although kendis—handle- less bottles featuring small-tipped, often bulbous spouts—are not a form common to European and American material culture, they long have been popular in Asia. Regional names for such vessels include kondi (Sumatra), gendi (Java), kindi (Kerala, India) and the Malaysian kundikâ. Kendis were produced since antiquity in Southeast Asia. The Chinese began making…

During her brief five years as joint British monarch with her husband William of Orange, Queen Mary II furthered the collecting habit that she had enjoyed in Holland following their marriage. Described by a contemporary writer as ‘China Mania’, Mary had amassed a collection of over 750 Chinese, Japanese and Delftware ceramic items and, more…

This odd-looking Dutch Delftware form is called a “monteith.” Monteiths were large bowls with scalloped rims that allowed wineglasses to suspend in chilled water. Their first appearance in 1683 is described by Oxford diarist Anthony à Wood (1632-1695), who wrote: “This yeare in the summer time came up a vessel or bason notched at the…

The initial donation of a Delft eighteenth century plate in 1882 to the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art (renamed the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1918) provided the foundation for a collection of Dutch earthenware that now numbers over one hundred andtwenty five pieces. The unusual orange and blue decoration of this circa…