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Ceramic Armorial or known as wapengoet at Aronson Antiquairs

‘Wapengoet’: Armorial Wares

The wide assortiment that the Delft potters offered their clients contained also so-called ‘wapengoet’ or ‘armorial wares’, which were often commissioned for special occasions, such as a birth or a wedding. Made in Spanish lustreware and Italian maiolica since the fifteenth century, these objects have a long and storied history. The style was adopted in…

Antique Flower vase Cashmere Palette at Aronson Antiquairs

Lambertus van Eenhoorn

Like many Dutch Delftware factories, De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory originated as a brewery. In 1639, administrators of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) bought the building that was located on the Lange Geer, and used the space to house one of their chambers. About thirty years later, Lambertus Cleffius, who also owned…

Small sweetmeat dishes from Delft blue ceramic

Sweetmeat Dishes

In the seventeenth and eighteenth century the potters in the city of Delft created magnificent sets of small plates, which were assembled surrounding a central star-shaped dish. In literature, these sets are often described as ‘rijsttafel’ sets. Rijsttafels, or literally ‘rice tables’, were created by the Dutch colonialists in Indonesia in the seventeenth century who…

Vases with a cashmere palette

The Splendor of the Orient

During the mid-nineteenth century, there was not only a fascination for the Orient and its exotic wares, but also a rediscovery of the Golden Age of Delftware, and European collectors and intellectuals developed a keen appreciation for the Dutch earthenware. This marked the first serious attempt to assemble, classify and study Delftware. The names given…

Cashmere palette garniture

The History of Garnitures and its Influence on Interior Design

The history of garnitures is closely linked to the overall development of ceramics as a central element within the decoration of interiors. Although ceramic vessels began to be used for ornamental purpose in Florence during the Renaissance, this custom particularly spread out in Europe during the seventeenth century when the mania for imported Chinese porcelain…

Antique cashmere teapot adorned with red flowers

Fancy a Cup of Tea?

The Dutch East India Company (VOC) found in the faraway lands that they visited many treasures and commodities, that were uncommon at that time in the Netherlands. Besides the popular and desired import commodity Chinese porcelain, Asia’s botanical imports were arguably even more widely enjoyed, and had a greater economic impact than did any of…

Chinoiserie Figures: Inspiration & Imitation

He only stands about 11 cm. (4.5 in.) tall, but the fierce expression and posture of this Delftware Chinese warrior figure does not make him less impressive. In the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century, the fascination for the Far East was triggered nationwide by the many curiosities that were brought home.…

Delft blue and white ceramic vase

Samuel van Eenhoorn

In 1678 Samuel van Eenhoorn inherited from his father one of the most famous and prestigious Delftware factories that history records, De Grieksche A (The Greek A). The family adventure started in 1658 when Wouter van Eenhoorn - Samuel’s father - bought what originally was a beer brewery. This particularly seasoned businessman already owned several…

Antique pair of monkey figures by Lambertus van Eenhoorn at Aronson Antiquairs

Monkey Business in Dutch Delftware

With their high intelligence and their humanlike behaviour in which we can recognize our own, monkeys and apes were either loved or hated.In art, from the fourteenth throughout the seventeenth century, monkeys were not so much targets of ridicule themselves, but were used to point out the idiocies of human endeavour. Especially the Flemish engraver…

Antique tureens of swans Aronson Antiquairs

The King of the Waterfowl

Over the centuries and throughout the arts the swan has symbolized beauty, elegance and perfection. Celebrating the popularity and the status of the noble swan, it is no surprise that historically the majestic bird often was chosen to decorate the table during a dinner party given by a prosperous family. As the hunt for this game…

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