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Pair of Polychrome Biblical Plaques

Delftware Produced in Dutch Tile Factories

Faience was made throughout Europe, yet until around 1900, anything that looked typically Dutch was labeled Delftware. It was not until between 1910 and 1920 that a reasonable distinction was made between Dutch, German and Scandinavian material.[1]  Further, a distinction also had to be made between Dutch Delftwares, since not all Delftware was actually made…

De Drie Posteleyne Astonne Factory

One of the earliest factories to be established on the Geer in Delft, variously known as De 3 Astonne, De 3 Vergulde Astonnekes or De 3 Posteleyne Astonne (The Three [Gilded or Porcelain] Ash-Barrels), was founded in 1655 by Jeronimus Pietersz. van Kessel, who died only five years later. Van Kessel’s widow ran the factory…

Blue and White Sugar Caster and Cover

The History of Sugar

Sugar, also called White Gold is indigenous to the South Pacific. It was first introduced to South America in 1493 by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the New World, where the tropical weather was favorable to its development. Rapidly, sugar plantations, which were made profitable by African slave labor arose, and the industry…

Brown-glazed garniture

Exceptional Lacquered Delftware

Porcelain, lacquer and silk are among the most sought after exotic goods from China and Japan in far-away Europe. The attraction to these precious items was particularly strong among the courts during the era when trade flourished by land via the Silk Road or by sea.[1]  Early in the seventeenth century, the Dutch East India…

Pair of Polychrome Crouching Hare Tureens and Covers

Delftware Tureens: a True Delight for the Eye

The dinner table, as with all aspects of the decorative arts, is subject to changing fashions. As the structure of meals has evolved over time, the table settings and decoration have followed suit to complement the variations in each tradition. Beginning in the fifteenth century, a formal meal became increasingly divided into numerous courses. Typically,…

De Porceleyne Schotel Factory

De Porceleyne Schotel (The Porcelain Dish) factory is one of the oldest, if not first Delftware factories that existed. The journey began in 1598, when Egbert Huijgensz. Sas bought a factory that consisted of a house and yard. [1] De Porceleyne Schotel factory first produced majolica wares that were decorated with European motifs. By the early…

Riveted Delftware charger

Did You Break Something? Riveting of Delftware

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…

Pair of Delftware Polychrome Models of Leaping Horses

A Delftware Menagerie

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…

delftware set of blue and white salt cellars

Delftware Salt Cellars

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…

Delftware as the Centerpiece of a Festive Gathering

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…

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