In-depth Articles

Delftware is a fragile material and therefore the breaking and cracking of these approximately three-hundred- year-old objects is almost inevitable. Today, objects are restored in an ethical manner after much research, whereas restoration was much different in the past. Especially in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, many Delftware objects were utilitarian and they were quickly…

From the mid-eighteenth century onwards it was the fashion to decorate the interior with Delftware models of animals. This custom was a result of Delftware becoming a popular consumer good in the late seventeenth-century, mainly under influence of Mary II (1662-1695), the English consort of King-stadholder William III (1650-1702). The coveted Delftware blue and white…

Salt has been an invaluable commodity for thousands of years, used to preserve and flavor food and traded as currency. In Asia, salt has been used in pickling and preserving foods for over 5000 years, and for at least 2000 years in the West. It was used by the ancient Egyptians in mummification during the…

In the Netherlands and throughout Europe, people drank alcoholic beverages when water was unsafe. Cold beverages were consumed in the summer, and hot punch, wine and beer were drank to keep warm in the winter.[1] In Northern Europe, the consumption of wine carried a strong social distinction, whereas beer was a more common beverage. Although…

Despite its predominant role in the history of European ceramics, Dutch Delftware only became a serious source of interest from art historians and collectors in the second half of the nineteenth century, a period that rehabilitated the decorative arts, and particularly ceramics. Prior to the 1850s, there was little interest in the decorative arts in…

The study of Delftware will bring you far beyond the Dutch borders, as the objects make multiple references to other cultures. The exchange of knowledge and motifs between the ceramic centres are well-known and documented. However, little is known about the influence that European sculptors had on Dutch Delftware. In the eighteenth century, Delft potters…

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, De Witte Ster (The White Star) was owned by Henricus Cleffius and Dirck Witsenburgh. During this period, objects of a remarkable quality were produced. However, the company encountered financial troubles. In order to pay back its creditors, the factory was sold in 1705 to Dammas Hoffdijck and Jacobus de…

The function of plates and plaques painted in a yellow ground and decorated with garnitures, cuspidors, teapots and other ceramic objects arranged in several rows is uncertain. The rare objects have probably functioned as sample plates, although there are no archival records to support this assumption. Sample plates may have been used by potteries to…

In the seventeenth century, the baroque taste was fully integrated in almost all aspects of the built environment, including architecture, interior design and the garden. The formal or Baroque garden was designed after the spectacle of Versailles and evolved in Italy and France in the early seventeenth century. The immense gardens of Louis XIV, designed…

De Klaauw is among the most prosperous and longest running Delftware factories. Throughout its existence, the successive owners and managers succeeded by adapting to the changing demands of the market and the varied clientele. In the sixteenth century, the city of Delft was famous for its textile and brewing industries. At its apogee, the city…