Each month, we highlight a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs collection. This month, we are pleased to present a pair of blue and white royal portrait trays.

This exceptional pair of Delft trays presents a refined and politically charged homage to Prince William IV, Stadtholder of the United Provinces, and his consort, Princess Anne of Hanover. Executed in a deep cobalt blue, the trays combine courtly portraiture with rich ornamental detail, embodying both the technical sophistication of Delft potters and the broader cultural significance of the House of Orange-Nassau in the mid-18th century.

Each tray is centered with a finely painted bust-length portrait, set within an architectural window opening that lends the composition both depth and a sense of staged grandeur. Princess Anne is depicted with elaborate coiffure, wearing pearl earrings and a sumptuous gown, her ermine-trimmed mantle emphasizing her royal dignity. Behind her, a landscape of trees and clouds is framed by a classical pillar, suggesting both cultivated taste and dynastic stability. The upper register is adorned with stylized acanthus leaves and a harp—perhaps an allusion to harmony and refinement—while beneath, a banderole identifies her as ANNA VAN BRUNSWYK LUNENBURG / Prinsesfe van Oranje enz. enz. enz. The composition is flanked by orange branches, alongside a lion holding a bundle of arrows and the head of a unicorn, reinforcing themes of sovereignty and legitimacy.

The companion tray depicts Prince William IV, shown wearing a short powdered wig, a sash, and an ermine-lined mantle over his embroidered uniform. The insignia of the Order of the Garter—conferred upon him in 1733—is prominently displayed, reflecting his international prestige. He holds a coat of arms featuring a lion rampant with sword and arrows, a potent symbol of Dutch unity and authority. His portrait is similarly framed within a window opening, crowned by acanthus ornamentation, a chain with a pendant of Saint George and the dragon, and a command staff. The banderole below reads WILLEM CAREL HENDRIK FRISO / Erfstadhouder der Vereenigde Nederlanden, accompanied by an orange branch.

Both trays are bordered by an upturned rim decorated with a blue-ground diaper pattern, rhythmically interrupted by floral panels. The undersides are raised on four bracket feet, a distinctive feature that enhances both their elegance and functionality.

Historically, these trays commemorate a significant moment in Dutch history. William IV (1711–1751), born posthumously to Johan Willem Friso, became Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen at birth and later, in 1747, the first hereditary General Stadtholder of all seven United Provinces. His marriage in 1734 to Princess Anne of Hanover, daughter of King George II of Great Britain, symbolized a powerful Anglo-Dutch alliance. Though his tenure was brief, William IV is remembered for administrative reforms, including the abolition of indirect taxation.

The portraits are directly based on a print dated 1750 by Pieter Tanjé, after a drawing by Gerard Sanders, a German-born court painter active in Düsseldorf and later Rotterdam. This translation from print to ceramic illustrates the close interplay between graphic media and Delftware production, as well as the widespread dissemination of royal imagery through decorative arts.

As a pair, these trays carry an added layer of meaning: together they celebrate not only individual status but dynastic unity. Objects such as these would have functioned as both decorative showpieces and expressions of political allegiance, reflecting the pride and identity of their owners within the socio-political landscape of the Dutch Republic.

 

D1734
Pair of Blue and White Royal Portrait Trays
Delft, circa 1750

Each painted in the center with a bust-length portrait, one depicting Princess Anne elaborately coifed and wearing pearl earrings and a lavish gown with an ermine fur mantel, placed in a window opening with a background of trees, clouds and a pillar, the top of the window decorated with stylized acanthus leaves and a harp, beneath her a banderole inscribed ANNA VAN BRUNSWYK LUNENBURG / Prinsesfe van Oranje enz. enz. enz., flanked by orange branches with on one side a lion holding a bundle of arrows and on the other side the head of a unicorn; the other depicting Prince William IV wearing a short light wig, a sash and mantel with ermine fur collar, and the Order of the Garter on his embroidered uniform, and holding the coat of arms with a lion rampant with sword and a bundle of arrows, also placed in a window opening with a background of trees and clouds, the top of the window decorated with stylized acanthus leaves, a chain with a pendant in the form of Saint George and the dragon and a command staff having on a ribbon, the banderole beneath him inscribed WILLEM CAREL HENDRIK FRISO / Erfstadhouder der Vereenigde Nederlanden, and an orange branch, the upturned rim with a blue ground diaper work border interrupted with floral panels, and the underside raised on four bracket feet.

DIMENSIONS
Heights: both 27.2 cm. (10.7 in.);
Widths: both 27.6 cm. (10.9 in.)

PRICE
€ 18.000 (US$ 21.000 export*) incl. shipping
(excl. local taxes, if applicable)