Amsterdam, circa 1770

Each marked GDG in manganese or blue on the yoke for Gerrit de Graaf, a tile painter at d’Oude Prince (The Old Prince) factory

DIMENSIONS
Height: 14 cm. (5½ in.); length: 20.9 and 21.6 cm.
(8¼ and 8½ in.)

PROVENANCE
Belgian Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam;
Dutch Private Collection

NOTE

Gerrit de Graaf was a painter at d’ Oude Prins (The Old Prince) factory, a tile manufactory located on the Anjeliersstraat in Amsterdam. He began working as an apprentice around 1745, and from 1770 onward he possibly managed the painting department. Characteristic of his style were the blue and manganese color scheme and his slightly nervous (kriebelig) execution, identifiable through the several pieces that are known bearing his monogram or his complete signature. Although most of his work was on tiles, he also painted molded objects, such as a tray dated 1779, in the Musée national de Céramique, Sèvres (inv. no. MNC 1931), and a butter tub in the form of a female figure, dated 1770, and illustrated in Van Dam 1999, p. 45, no. 23, which, with both the artist’s monogram and complete signature is a key piece for attributions to Gerrit de Graaf. There are five pairs and a single figure of recumbent cows known and attributed to d’ Oude Prins factory based on the pair in De Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst en Geschiedenis in Brussels (inv. no. L. 334 a,b), which is signed by Adam Sybel, who, like De Graaf, also was a tile painter at d’ Oude Prins factory. There are no known Amsterdam milking groups. However, in the eighteenth century the tile factories in Amsterdam did produce molded objects on a small scale, so it is possible that this pair of milking groups was indeed the product of d’Oude Prins. Although these groups do show signs of handwork, they clearly were made in a mold based on Delft models. The important differences between the Amsterdam and Delft cows, are in the color palette, and in the body shapes: the Amsterdam cows being more naturalistically modeled than the more stylized Delft cows.

In spite of a strong argument for this pair of milking groups having been produced in Amsterdam, their origin is still uncertain, although it was not likely to be in one of the Delft facrtories. They may have been created in the Blankenburg tile factory in Amsterdam, which was discontinued in 1764, and from whom Pieter van der Kloet, the owner of d’ Oude Prins, may have bought the molds. Alternatively the groups may have been made in the Blankenburg factory and painted there by De Graaf, where he may have learned his skill as a painter before being employed at d’ Oude Prins.

Delft, circa 1710

Marked LVE 1 0 CB + in blue for Lambertus van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1691 to 1721 or his widow Margaretha Teckmann from 1721 to 1724

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 20.4 cm. (8 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

NOTE
The front of this heart-shaped flower vase is painted with Flora, shown draped in flowing garments and holding a basket of fruit, surrounded by small floral sprigs and cross motifs that are repeated on the reverse. Her calm yet animated pose and the abundance of vegetal attributes identify her unambiguously as the Roman goddess of spring, flowers, and the renewal of nature.

Flora occupied a prominent position in the decorative repertory of late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century Delftware. Rooted in classical mythology, she was associated with seasonal regeneration, fecundity, and the cyclical rhythms of the natural world. These associations made her an especially appropriate subject for spouted flower vases, objects whose very function was to support and display freshly cut blooms. In this context, Flora’s presence operates both symbolically and conceptually: she personifies the life-giving forces that the vase was designed to showcase.

Her imagery resonated strongly with contemporary intellectual and cultural currents in the Dutch Republic. The period witnessed a growing fascination with botany, stimulated by scientific inquiry, the establishment of botanical gardens, and the influx of new and exotic plant species through global trade networks. Flowers became objects of study, prestige, and connoisseurship, and their cultivation was closely linked to social status and refined taste. Within this climate, Flora came to embody not only natural fertility but also the cultivated appreciation of nature as shaped by human knowledge and artistic sensibility.

On Delftware, and particularly on multi-spouted flower vases, Flora thus functions as a mediating figure between nature and art. Her classical origins lent intellectual authority and cultural prestige, while her floral attributes aligned her with contemporary horticultural interests. The depiction of Flora on this vase reflects the convergence of classical allegory, early modern botanical culture, and the aesthetic ambitions of Delft potters at the turn of the eighteenth century, transforming a functional object into a richly symbolic work of art.

Delft, circa 1780

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 29.8 and 40.2 cm. (11.7 and 15.8 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection, Maastricht;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

NOTE
This garniture is firmly rooted in the tradition of Delftware sets that emerged in the Netherlands during the late seventeenth century, a period when the fashion for grouping vases on mantels, above doorways, or atop cabinets had become an established feature of elite interior decoration. Inspired initially by the arrival of Chinese porcelain through the VOC, these symmetrical arrangements evolved into a distinctly European phenomenon, with Delft potters producing their own interpretations. By the eighteenth century, the garniture had developed into standardized combinations, most commonly five pieces, combining covered vases with beakers in harmonious, coordinated designs.

The present set belongs to this mature phase of Delftware garniture production, when potters increasingly drew on European artistic movements to shape both form and decoration. Its molded cartouches, enriched with shell motifs, and the overall sense of movement in the design are characteristic of the rococo style, which had become fashionable across Europe by the mid-eighteenth century. This style encouraged asymmetrical curves, playful ornament, and a shift from exotic chinoiserie subjects to pastoral and romantic European scenes. The swan finials, an unusual choice within the Delft tradition, complement the rococo taste for naturalistic and graceful forms, while distinguishing the set from more common finial types such as foo dogs or birds with cherries.

In keeping with the historical role of such sets, this garniture would have been prominently displayed in a position of honor, its unified yet varied forms creating a rhythmic visual effect across a mantelpiece or cabinet cornice. The combination of octagonal shapes, rococo ornament, and European subject matter situates it within the broader decorative trends of its time, while still preserving the essential qualities that defined Delftware garnitures from their inception: symmetry, coordinated design, and the fusion of artistic style with the social function of display. Around the same time, interior designers transformed cabinet cornices from straight into serpentine. It was only logical that from about 1730–40, the next progression in this development would be the integration of wooden consoles into the cabinet cornices, the perfect stage for the presentation of a garniture.

Delft, circa 1780

Marked with three bells in blue for De Drie Klokken (The Three Bells) factory

DIMENSIONS
Height: 36 cm. (14.2 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection, Maastricht;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

NOTE
Each jar is painted on the front of the ovoid body with a Native American chieftain smoking a long-stemmed pipe beside a barrel, within an oval cartouche crowned with ribbon and bow, flanked by a stack of chests on one side and a boat on the other, and inscribed VOC Sigaren.

These Delftware tobacco jars reflect the Dutch engagement in the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century transatlantic tobacco trade, in which the West India Company played a major role. Tobacco cultivated in regions such as Surinam, Brazil, Virginia, and Maryland was processed at its origin, packed into barrels and chests, and shipped to Amsterdam, a principal hub for its import and distribution. In the Netherlands the leaves were further processed into products including the strong, moist snuff known as rappé (from tabac rappé), referenced by the inscriptions on the jars and by the numbered designations for different grades or blends.

Of particular importance is the inscription De Rookende Amerikaan (The Smoking American), a designation that is rare and historically charged on Delftware tobacco jars. In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Dutch usage, the term Amerikaan was often employed broadly and imprecisely, frequently functioning as a synonym for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. In visual culture, the “American” was commonly represented as a Native American figure, identified by attributes such as feathered headdress, minimal dress, and the long-stemmed pipe, iconography clearly present on these jars. De Rookende Amerikaan reflects a generalized European conception of the New World and its inhabitants.

The imagery of the smoking chieftain, flanking containers, and distant ship evokes both the commodity’s overseas origins and the maritime networks that enabled its circulation. In their original commercial context, jars of this type served as prominent shop furnishings, storing bulk tobacco while simultaneously advertising its exotic provenance and commercial appeal.

Delft, circa 1770

Marked LPK in blue for De Porceleyne Lampetkan (The Porcelain Ewer) factory

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 35.5 and 49 cm. (14 and 19.3 in.)

PROVENANCE
Belgian Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

NOTE
The history of De Lampetkan factory, one of Delft’s most storied ceramic workshops, begins in 1609, when Abraham Davidsz. Oosterhouck acquired a property named De Burcht van Leyden, which he transformed into a pottery. Over the course of the seventeenth century, the factory passed through the hands of several prominent owners, including Cornelis Harmesz. Valckenhoff, Claas Jansz. van Straten, and members of the Hoppesteyn and Van der Voorn families. By 1723, the enterprise entered a prosperous new chapter under the Van der Ceel family, known for their refined production and enduring influence in the Delftware industry.

Among the factory’s most prized creations are its blue and white garniture sets, jardinières, figurines and ornamental vases. De Lampetkan’s artistic repertoire also embraced the chinoiserie style that swept through European decorative arts in the eighteenth century. Around 1760, the factory produced a series of elegant figures representing Asian women. These figures, with their stylized poses and musical instruments, were often inspired by Chinese export porcelain of the Qianlong period (1736–1795), though interpreted through a distinctly Dutch lens. Delft artisans frequently adapted the original Chinese forms, enhancing them with intricate, imaginative surface decoration unconstrained by the symbolic meanings of the originals. The current garniture set shows that also European topics were part of the assortment as well.

Under the stewardship of the Van der Ceel family, the factory flourished. By the 1770s and 1780s, the business had expanded its infrastructure, acquiring shares in De Paauw mill and a clay washery, an investment that allowed them greater control over their raw materials and reduced dependence on intermediaries. This strategic expansion contributed to the sustained quality and innovation seen in De Lampetkan’s later production.

The standing shepherd and dog are from an etching and engraving by Johannes [de] Visscher (1633-92+) entitled A Herd Leaning on his Staff. Detail of engraving by Johannes [de] Visscher and illustrated in F.W.H. Hollstein’s Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Wood-cuts, Vol. XLI, 1992, p. 74, no. 106.

Delft, circa 1770

DIMENSIONS
Height: 40.5 cm. (16 in.); Width: 34.9 cm. (13.8 in.)

PROVENANCE
American Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam 2005;
Sotheby’s Amsterdam, 12 October 2004, lot 157

LITERATURE
Aronson 2019, pp. 114-115, no. 58

NOTE
The mirrored source for this plaque is La Musique Philis, an engraving by Nicolas Chateau (1680–1750), Paris, 1708, accompanied by a poem praising the enchanting power of music and love:

La Musique, Philis, est une enchanteresse,

Mais qui doit à l’Amour ce qu’elle fait de mieux.

Je juge avoir ce Dieu qui brille dans tes yeux,

Ce qu’il peut à ta voix ajouter de tendresse.

 

M.R.

Philis (Phyllis) is a figure from Greek mythology whose name signifies “foliage” or “leaves.” According to the legend, she married Demophoön, King of Athens and son of Theseus, during his return from Troy. When he failed to keep his vow to return to her, Phyllis took her own life and was transformed by the gods into an almond tree. Only upon opening a casket she had entrusted to him did Demophoön understand his neglect; embracing the barren tree, he brought it miraculously into bloom.

Phyllis’s story was well known in the seventeenth century and was referenced by the Dutch composer Jacob van Eyck (1590–1657) in several works, including Phyllis schooner Herderin and Philis quam Philander tegen. Such compositions may have contributed to the reception of Chateau’s La Musique Philis, which in turn served as the model for the present plaque.

Delft, circa 1765

Each marked and numbered A / IH 12 107 in manganese for Jacobus Halder, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1764 until 1768

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 13.5 cm. (5.3 in.);
Diameter: 11 cm. (4.3 in.)

PROVENANCE
Belgian private collection until 2023;
Collection of Michel van Gelder (1864–1929), Château Zeecrabbe, Uccle, Brussels

NOTE
Jacobus Adriaensz. Halder’s tenure as owner of the renowned Delft pottery De Grieksche A lasted only from December 1764 to 1768, yet in those few years he left a clear imprint on the factory’s production. Born in September 1741 to Margaretha van Rheenen and Adrianus Halder, he grew up in a period when Delftware faced increasing competition from foreign ceramics. In 1763 he married Johanna Radder, and soon after the couple acquired De Grieksche A from Jan Theunis Dextra (likely aided by Johanna’s inherited wealth from her first marriage). Two years later, Halder registered his “A / IH” mark with the Saint Luke’s Guild, at first as a shopkeeper, but by the time he sold the business in 1768 to Johannes van Briel and Petronella van der Laan, he had achieved the title of master potter.

During his brief but active ownership, Halder oversaw a diverse production that balanced tradition with innovation. The factory continued to produce classic blue-and-white Delftware, but also ventured into more elaborate figural pieces and imaginative figurative tablewares. Among his most distinctive contributions was a small group of petit feu Rococo objects inspired by Meissen porcelain, their refined colors and playful forms showing a keen awareness of changing European tastes. These works, produced at a time when Delft potters were under pressure from English creamware and German porcelain, reflect Halder’s determination to keep his wares competitive. Yet the limited number of surviving examples hints that this experimental line may have met with only moderate commercial success, or that the necessary specialist skills were lost when Halder left the factory. The present butter tubs, marked with his “A / IH” monogram, are part of this creative chapter, embodying both the craftsmanship and the inventiveness that defined De Grieksche A during his tenure.

Delft, circa 1765

Marked and numbered AIH 110 12 in manganese for Jacobus Halder,  the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory, from 1764 until 1768

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 28.5 and 29 cm. (11.2 and 11.4 in.)

PROVENANCE
Belgian Private Collection

NOTE
This important pair of figural candlesticks represents the high point of mid-eighteenth-century figural production in Delft and reflects the full assimilation of the rococo idiom into Dutch ceramic art. Modeled as winged putti supporting candle sockets, the candlesticks combine sculptural ambition with decorative function and were intended as prominent ornaments within refined domestic interiors.

During the third quarter of the eighteenth century, Delft potters increasingly adopted European sculptural models, moving away from earlier Asian themes toward subjects inspired by French and German art. The present candlesticks clearly reflect the influence of German porcelain, particularly Meissen, whose figural candleholders were widely admired and collected across Europe. Imported porcelain not only shaped taste but also provided concrete models for Delft factories, where vormers adapted such designs to the possibilities of tin-glazed earthenware.

The putti are animated with characteristic rococo vitality. Their asymmetrical poses, expressive gestures, and lively interaction with attributes such as birds and fish convey a sense of movement and playfulness. These motifs draw upon a long European tradition in which putti symbolized abundance, nature, and festivity, subjects well suited to objects intended for display in convivial settings. While indebted to porcelain prototypes, the sculptural treatment retains a distinctly Dutch sensibility, with robust modeling and an engaging directness characteristic of Delftware.

Figural candlesticks of this quality were luxury objects, displayed prominently on mantelpieces, console tables, or within display cabinets as part of the decorative ensemble of rococo interiors. Although the popularity of Delft figural wares declined toward the end of the eighteenth century in favor of porcelain, pairs such as this remain compelling testimonies to the artistic ambition and technical sophistication of Delft potters at a moment when they successfully engaged with international taste while maintaining a distinctive local identity.

Delft, circa 1760

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 13.6 cm. (5.4 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection

NOTE
Dutch Delftware was produced in an extraordinary variety over the centuries, ranging from the purity of plain white glaze to the brilliance of richly polychrome decoration. For a long time, art historians regarded Delfts wit, white Delftware, as primarily functional, yet delicate figures such as this pair demonstrate that plain white faience could also serve a decorative purpose. Delft potters produced figures of both animals and people in the color of the white tin glaze alone, without further decoration, to be displayed as table ornaments or in a cabinet, sometimes alongside Chinese porcelain.

Faience with an undecorated white tin glaze was first made in Italy around 1550, known as bianchi di Faenza. Initially large dishes and vessels, these wares developed into more modest forms made in series for affordable everyday use. By around 1600, Dutch potteries began producing white faience, each with its own blend of raw materials that produced shades ranging from grey and blue to yellow, green, or even pink. Most white Delftware was made for the domestic market and is rarely marked or dated.

Research continues into whether some white-glazed and unpainted groups were cold-painted after production, perhaps by decorators outside the factory, with the unfired decoration later lost or intentionally removed. It is also possible that certain white-glazed figures were intended from the outset as less costly alternatives to painted wares. Although simpler to produce than blue or polychrome Delftware, white undecorated objects were initially affordable only to the upper class. By the end of the seventeenth century, white Delftware had become more common, with factories producing larger quantities of kitchenware for daily use alongside decorative objects of figures and animals for display on the mantelpiece.

Delft, circa 1760

DIMENSIONS
Height: 12.7 cm. (5 in.); Width: 17.8 cm. (7 in.)

PROVENANCE
Private collection, Dresher, Pennsylvania;
Dutch private collection before 1949 and transferred to the United States after 1949 and retained within the same family collection thereafter

NOTE
Animal figures occupy a distinctive place within the eighteenth-century Delftware repertoire, often described as a ceramic menagerie. Birds, dogs and pastoral animals were produced as decorative objects for mantelpieces, cabinets and console tables, reflecting contemporary fascination with the natural world as well as the ornamental ambitions of Delft’s potteries. These figures were valued less for anatomical accuracy than for their vitality, charm and symbolic resonance within the domestic interior.

Within this menagerie, horses form a comparatively rare and technically demanding group. Their complex modelling and extended limbs posed significant challenges in both shaping and firing, which may account for their limited production. In European visual culture of the period, the horse carried strong associations with nobility, military prowess and controlled movement, lending such figures a heightened symbolic status among Delftware animals.

The menagerie tradition drew upon multiple sources: engravings, sculptural prints, porcelain figures from Meissen and other German manufactories, and the broader ornamental vocabulary of Baroque and Rococo interiors. Delftware animals, however, retain a distinct character. Softly rounded forms and lively hand-painted decoration emphasize decorative appeal over sculptural realism. The present horses exemplify this approach, combining animated prancing poses with a refined polychrome palette that integrates them seamlessly into the broader Delftware aesthetic.

As with many animals in the Delft menagerie, the model circulated across several factories, marked and unmarked, suggesting shared molds and sustained market demand. This repetition should not be seen as a lack of originality, but rather as evidence of a successful and recognizable type within Delft’s commercial and artistic ecosystem. Seen within the context of the Delftware menagerie, these horses stand as refined examples of how eighteenth-century Delft transformed animal subjects into elegant and enduring ornaments.