In-depth Articles

In this months article, we are focussing on the Van Gelder Collection. This exceptional ensemble, comprising more than 350 objects, is widely regarded as the largest and most comprehensive private collection of apothecary ceramics in existence. It was assembled with exceptional care and discernment by the apothecary J.B. (Joop) van Gelder. While his primary focus…

Main image by Michiel Elsevier Stokmans: ‘Actie’ Delftware, from Aronson Antiquairs, to be presented at TEFAF 2026. With TEFAF 2026 in sight, we are greatly looking forward to presenting our collection in Maastricht and would like to offer a first preview of a remarkable ensemble. The group consists of eight Delftware plates, accompanied by a…

Main image by Marie Louise Photography. Blue and White Flower Vase, marked CK for Cornelis Koppens, owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1724 to 1757, Delft, circa 1730, Aronson Collection (inv. no. D2211) Delft flower vases with multiple spouts have been admired since their earliest production in the last quarter of…

Main image: Jacob Houbraken, Het Sint Nicolaasfeest, Engraving, 1761, Collection Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. RP-P-1938-1443) The footwear worn by the figures in the engraving correspond perfectly with the Delft miniature shoe models. On 5 December, many people in the Netherlands celebrate Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas), a time-honored occasion rich in history, ritual, and joy. It is…

Main image: Polychrome plaque, Delft, circa 1740-1760, former Aronson Collection (inv. no. D0731) Since Chinese porcelain entered the Dutch market around 1600, it captured people’s imagination and laid the foundation for Delft faience. One of the most fascinating aspects of this cultural exchange is the transformation of Chinese motifs, often associated with deep symbolic meanings,…

Main image: Set of Four Blue and White Armorial Tobacco Jars and Brass Cover, Delft, c.1820, Aronson Collection (inv. no. D1368) Tobacco has served as a medicinal, comforting, stimulating, and religious substance. Upon their arrival in the Americas in 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew noted that Indigenous peoples were using what they described as…

Main image: View on the Dutch trade base on Deshima, circa 1890, Leiden University Libraries (shelf no. KITLV 36D536) Since 2006, CAMERA JAPAN has been an annual celebration of Japanese culture, taking place each autumn in Rotterdam. This year, the festival runs from September 24–28. While rooted in contemporary Japanese cinema, its scope extends far…

Main image: Blue and White Rectangular Marine Plaque, Delft, circa 1660, former Aronson Collection (inv. no. 25045) Since 1975, organized to celebrate the 700 anniversary of Amsterdam, every five years, the waters of Amsterdam’s IJ transform into a sea of masts, sails, and maritime stories during SAIL Amsterdam—one of the largest nautical events in the…

Models and Molds Today, the variety of forms in ceramics seems virtually limitless, especially with the aid of modern technologies like 3D printing. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, however, crafting ceramic objects that could not be thrown on a potter’s wheel demanded the expertise of a specialist known as the vormer (molder). This craftsman…

An obelisk is a four-sided, tapering monolithic pillar that ascends with majestic precision, culminating in a pyramidion—a small, pointed pyramid at its peak. Originating in ancient Egypt, these towering forms have long captivated the imagination for their awe-inspiring height and celestial symbolism, earning them the moniker “skyscrapers of the past.”(1) Their impressive presence has fascinated…