In-depth Articles

Delftware painters were among a highly esteemed group of craftsmen, whose expertise and creativity determined the look of the finished earthenware pieces.[1] Unfortunately, many of their names have been lost throughout history because they did not sign their work and the records for the potteries refer almost exclusively to the factory owners. One rare exception…

The Nijstad family has been deeply wedded to art and antiques for as long as anyone can remember. They channeled this passion into a successful business, decades before Hartog ‘Harts’ and Kitty Nijstad developed a magnificent collection of Dutch Delftware in the twentieth century. In 1862, Abraham Nijstad (1835-1903) began a humble antiques business in…

De Grieksche A (The Greek A) is considered as one of the most famous and prestigious Delftware factories of the Dutch Golden Age. The different owners have contributed, each their own way, to build what became a real institution. From 1678 to 1685, Samuel van Eenhoorn masterfully managed the factory that he had previously inherited…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…