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 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 1760

Each marked GVS in blue for Geertruij Verstelle, the owner of Het Oude Moriaanshooft (The Old Moor’s Head) factory from 1761 to 1769

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 13.5 cm. (5.3 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection, Amsterdam

NOTE
This pair of duck-form tureens is marked for Geertruij Verstelle, proprietor of the Delft factory Het Oude Moriaanshooft (The Old Moor’s Head) between 1761 and 1769. Verstelle belongs to a small yet significant group of women who assumed ownership and managerial responsibility within the Delft pottery industry during the eighteenth century, often following the death of a spouse but operating with considerable independence and commercial acumen.

During Verstelle’s tenure, Het Oude Moriaanshooft produced a range of finely modeled and richly colored wares that demonstrate both technical competence and a clear sensitivity to contemporary fashion. The present duck tureens exemplify this production: their carefully articulated bodies, textured plumage, and alert heads reflect the Rococo taste for naturalism and visual play, while the oval bases evoke nest-like forms that enhance the illusionistic effect. The vibrant palette of blues, greens, yellows, and manganese outlines further underscores the painterly ambitions of the workshop.

The popularity of zoomorphic tureens in the mid-eighteenth century formed part of a broader European fascination with trompe l’œil ceramics, stimulated by innovations in Meissen porcelain and by the continued influx of Chinese export wares during the Qianlong period (1736–1795). Delft factories responded by translating these fashionable forms into Delftware, adapting international models to local materials and traditions. In comparison with their porcelain counterparts, Delft examples such as these are distinguished by their robust modeling, expressive surfaces, and distinctive polychrome decoration.

Seen within this context, the duck tureens stand as characteristic products of Het Oude Moriaanshooft under Verstelle’s direction. They testify not only to the vitality of the Delft ceramic industry in the 1760s, but also to the active role played by women in sustaining and shaping its output, contributing decisively to Delft’s participation in an increasingly interconnected European market for luxury tableware.

Delft, circa 1710

Both marked PAK No 6 in iron red for Pieter Adriaensz. Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1701 to 1703, or his widow Johanna van der Heul, the owner of the factory from 1703 to 1722

DIMENSIONS
Height: 20.8 cm. (8.2 in.)

PROVENANCE
Private collection, Maastricht;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam 2012;
Paul Blancan Collection, France 

NOTE
The cashmere palette, a term introduced by nineteenth-century writers and merchants, likely in reference to fashionable Indian shawls, appears to have reached the Netherlands largely by way of France. The underlying color scheme was inspired by Kangxi-period (1662–1722) Chinese porcelain painted in the famille verte palette, characterized by green, iron-red, underglaze and enamel blue, manganese, touches of yellow, and black outline (encre de Chine). Such porcelains were imported into the Dutch Republic by the VOC during the late seventeenth century.

Its adaptation to European ceramics, however, owed much to French ornamental design. The translation of Chinese motifs and “embroidered” borders was shaped heavily by Jean Bérain (1640–1711), whose decorative vocabulary dominated the arts under Louis XIV. Bérain’s designs influenced Rouen faience and the earliest Saint-Cloud porcelains (circa 1695–1725), and in turn informed the work of Daniel Marot (1663–1752). As court designer to William III and Mary II, Marot played a significant role in shaping taste in the Dutch Republic, and his designs almost certainly impacted Delftware painters working in the cashmere style.

The forms of Delftware objects painted in this palette, such as the present example, often derive from contemporary silver shapes. Yet the complexity of these forms and the rapid shift in taste toward the Rococo contributed to the decline of the cashmere style. By circa 1720, Delft factories had largely ceased its production.

Although short-lived in its original period, the cashmere palette experienced renewed popularity in the late nineteenth century, when numerous imitations were produced and falsely marked with the PAK monogram of Pieter Adriaensz. Kocx of De Grieksche A. Many of these reproductions are exceptionally convincing, serving as a continuing reminder of the need for connoisseurship and caution in the field.

Delft, circa 1710

Attributed to Lambertus van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1691 to 1721

DIMENSIONS
Height: 22 cm. (8.7 in.)

NOTE
This bust of a lady belongs to a small but significant group of figural Delftware sculptures that translate sculptural portrait traditions into tin-glazed earthenware. Modeled as a half-length female figure mounted on an integral pedestal, the bust reflects the growing ambition of Delft potters in the early eighteenth century to move beyond purely functional wares and into the realm of decorative sculpture.

The woman is depicted with softly modeled facial features, her head turned slightly to one side, and her hair arranged in loose curls gathered at the back, a coiffure consistent with contemporary European fashions around 1700.  She wears a draped garment loosely crossing the chest, leaving the neckline exposed, and is adorned with a necklace and pendant, details that emphasize femininity, refinement, and social status rather than individual likeness.

While the bust has sometimes been interpreted as a portrait, it is more convincingly understood as an idealized or allegorical female figure rather than a depiction of a specific historical individual. Delft potters frequently drew inspiration from contemporary prints, sculptural models, and allegorical imagery circulating in Europe, particularly representations of classical goddesses, muses, or personifications of abstract virtues such as Beauty, Abundance, or Harmony. The generalized features and lack of identifying attributes argue against a precise portrait identification.

Busts like the present likely functioned as decorative objects intended for display on mantelpieces or cabinets, aligning with the period’s taste for sculptural accents within domestic interiors. Their form echoes contemporary stone or bronze busts, scaled down and adapted to ceramic production. In the broader context of Delftware, figural busts such as this one illustrate the intersection of ceramic art with sculpture, print culture, and interior decoration. They testify to the versatility of Delft workshops around 1710 and their engagement with international artistic trends, translating elite sculptural formats into a medium accessible to a wider, though still affluent, audience. Whether understood as an allegorical figure, or a generalized “lady of fashion,” this object exemplifies Delft’s capacity to merge painterly surface decoration with three-dimensional form in a manner both inventive and refined.

Delft, circa 1710

Marked LVE O J A in blue for Lambertus van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1691 to 1721

DIMENSIONS
Height: 13.8 cm. (5.4 in.); Length: 18.3 cm. (7.2 in.)

NOTE
This teapot  is a refined example of Delftware decorated in the so-called cashmere palette, a distinctive polychrome scheme closely associated with Van Eenhoorn’s tenure at De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot). The decoration of the present teapot is organized around circular panels enclosing flowering branches, framed by scrolling borders and textile-like bands that further evoke woven patterns. These motifs reveal a synthesis of Asian and European sources: the floral imagery ultimately derives from Chinese and Japanese porcelain, while the overall compositional balance and ornamented borders reflect Western design principles. The cashmere palette lends these elements a painterly delicacy, emphasizing surface richness without overwhelming the form.

The shape of the teapot itself reflects the growing importance of tea consumption in the Dutch Republic during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Tea was introduced to Europe in the early seventeenth century through the Dutch East India Company and quickly became associated with refinement, sociability, and elite domestic ritual. 

Tea was presented to guests in tea canisters, and then strongly brewed in small pots. These concentrated brews were then diluted with hot water from a bouilloire, a silver, copper (although this material was thought not so suitable for boiling water) or pewter kettle on a stand over a brazier. When the guest wanted to try a different kind of tea, he or she could rinse the cup in the slop bowl. The new drink should be sipped as hot as possible, but if too hot, it could be poured on the saucer to cool a little and sipped from there. With tea being very expensive, the cups were small, so it was not uncommon if one would have up to twenty or even fifty cups during a tea party. Although early Delft teapots were modeled after imported Chinese porcelain examples, by around 1700 Delft potters had developed their own interpretations, adapting Asian forms to European tastes and practical use.

Delft, circa 1710

Both marked PAK No 7 in iron red for Pieter Adriaensz. Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1701 to 1703, or his widow Johanna van der Heul, the owner of the factory from 1703 to 1722

DIMENSIONS
Height: 19.8 cm. (7.8 in.)

NOTE
This pair of vases exemplifies the refined Delft interpretation of the Kakiemon style, one of the most influential decorative idioms adopted from Japanese porcelain in the early eighteenth century.

The Kakiemon style originated in Japan at the Arita kilns during the mid-seventeenth century and was exported to Europe via the port of Nagasaki. Unlike the densely ornamented Imari wares, Kakiemon porcelain was admired for its restrained compositions, asymmetrical placement of motifs, and the generous use of empty space. Typical elements include delicately rendered flowering plants, birds, and small animals, executed in a limited but luminous palette. These wares were highly prized in Europe and became an important source of inspiration not only for Delft potters but also for continental manufactories such as Meissen and Chantilly.

Delft potters began producing Kakiemon-inspired wares around the turn of the eighteenth century, adapting the Japanese aesthetic to tin-glazed earthenware and Western vessel forms. The present vases demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the Kakiemon vocabulary. Each vase is decorated with flowering branches and birds arranged in a deliberately open composition, allowing the white ground to function as an active visual element. This controlled sparseness stands in marked contrast to earlier Delft traditions of all-over decoration and reflects a conscious effort to emulate the elegance and refinement of Japanese originals.

Technically, the vases reflect the refined level of expertise reached in De Grieksche A factory by the early eighteenth century. The decoration is executed in the Kakiemon palette using the petit feu enamel technique. After the initial high-temperature firing of the tin glaze with blue, the iron-red, and pastel colored enamels were applied and fixed in a subsequent low-temperature firing. Gilding was introduced at this final stage, secured during the same petit feu firing, allowing for delicate placement and a soft, luminous finish. This carefully orchestrated sequence of firings underscores the technical sophistication of Delft potters around 1710 and their ability to translate Japanese Kakiemon aesthetics into the Delftware tradition, preserving the elegance of the prototypes while asserting a distinctly Delft sense of brushwork and surface.

Delft, circa 1710

Marked PAK No 8 in iron-red for Pieter Adriaensz. Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1701 to 1703, or his widow Johanna van der Heul, the owner of the factory from 1703 to 1722

DIMENSIONS
Height: 26 cm. (10.2 in.)

NOTE
The term Imari refers to wares manufactured at the Arita kilns in Japan and exported via the port of Imari from the 1650s onward. Following the collapse of Chinese export porcelain in the mid-seventeenth century, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) channeled large quantities of Japanese porcelain into European markets. These wares were prized for their vibrant palette of underglaze cobalt blue, rich iron-red enamels, and extensive use of gilding. The distinctive Imari aesthetic, bold, rhythmically patterned, and densely ornamented, captured the enthusiasm of Dutch collectors and became a defining influence on Delft polychrome wares.

Delft potters responded to the popularity of Imari by adapting its key visual characteristics. Delftware painters translated Imari schemes into a painterly language suited to tin glaze, often emphasizing symmetrical patterns, stylized floral motifs, and extensive gilded decoration. The present ewer exemplifies this synthesis: its surface is articulated with ornamental panels and lobed cartouches filled with scrolling tendrils, palmettes, and abstracted floral elements rendered in a restrained yet resonant palette of deep cobalt and iron-red, enhanced by gold accents. 

The form of the ewer is equally telling. While its decoration draws overtly from Imari models, its silhouette, complete with a hinged lid and applied handle, is rooted in European metalwork prototypes. This hybridization underscores how Delftware functioned as a mediator between imported aesthetics and domestic utility. The piece was intended for use in a European context, where it might have served at table or within a display ensemble, its form familiar even as its surface conveyed a cosmopolitan sensibility.

Under Pieter Adriaensz. Kocx, and even more prominently under the direction of his widow Johanna van der Heul, De Grieksche A emerged as one of the leading Delft factories specializing in polychrome wares. The factory’s production is distinguished by its refined enamel work and its sophisticated adaptation of international decorative idioms. Objects bearing the PAK mark consistently reveal a high level of technical assurance in color application and compositional clarity, reflecting a factory keenly responsive to contemporary taste while actively pursuing painterly and stylistic innovation.

Delft, circa 1710

Marked LVE 1 2 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
Height: 24 cm. (9.5 in.) 

NOTE
This vase is a characteristic example of Delftware produced under Lambertus van Eenhoorn’s direction and illustrates with particular clarity the so-called millefleur decorative mode that became closely associated with his tenure. The form, with its broad, rounded body, gently tapering neck, and slightly flaring mouth, reflects a well-established Delft interpretation of East Asian bottle shapes, offering an expansive surface ideally suited to dense, all-over ornamentation.

The vase is decorated in blue with a continuous millefleur pattern, composed of small, freely dispersed flowering plants, leafy sprays, and delicate tendrils that appear to float across the surface without a dominant central motif. This manner of decoration creates an impression of abundance and visual movement, dissolving hierarchical organization in favor of rhythmic repetition. Unlike panelled or narrative schemes, the millefleur pattern emphasizes surface unity, transforming the vase into a coherent ornamental whole rather than a carrier of discrete pictorial scenes.

Van Eenhoorn’s period of management is widely recognized as one of technical refinement and stylistic confidence within Delftware production. The millefleur decoration seen here is emblematic of his factory’s output and reflects a deliberate aesthetic shift toward patterns that foreground decorative richness and painterly finesse over narrative content. Under Van Eenhoorn, Delft potters demonstrated exceptional control of cobalt pigment, achieving subtle tonal variation and fluid brushwork that animate even the smallest floral elements.

The millefleur motif itself has its origins in Chinese porcelain, where scattered floral designs were employed to evoke natural abundance and seasonal vitality. In Delft, however, the motif was reinterpreted through a distinctly European lens. While inspired by Asian prototypes, Delft millefleur patterns tend to be less symbolically prescriptive and more decorative in intent, responding to Western tastes for surface complexity and visual density. The result is not a direct imitation but a hybrid ornamental language that bridges Chinese inspiration and Dutch decorative sensibilities.

Delft, circa 1695

Marked IVB 24 in blue, attributed to Jan van der Burgh, meesterknecht at De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1695 until 1697

DIMENSIONS
Height: 17 cm. (6.7 in.);
Width: 23.5 cm. (9.3 in.)

NOTE
This elaborate cruet set, comprising a ewer for vinegar, a ewer for oil, a salt or sugar cellar and a mustard pot, is attributed to Jan van der Burgh, meesterknecht at De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) from 1695 to 1697. During this period, the factory was owned by Lambertus van Eenhoorn, son of Wouter and brother of Samuel van Eenhoorn, who were both prominent Delftware manufacturers. Lambertus initially resisted a career in pottery, choosing instead a life of military service and extensive travel, which placed considerable financial strain on his family and resulted in restrictions on his inheritance. After a short period studying medicine at the University of Leiden, he returned to the Netherlands and eventually entered the porcelain trade. With support from his brother-in-law, Adrianus Kocx, he purchased De Metaale Pot in 1691 and soon became a leading Delft potter, known for aligning production with contemporary tastes and elevating the factory’s artistic reputation.

A notable number of Delftware objects marked LVE (for Lambertus van Eenhoorn) also bear additional initials and numbers, the meanings of which are not always clear. In this case, the initials IVB are believed to identify Jan van der Burgh himself. Van der Burgh passed the master potter’s examination of the Saint Luke’s Guild in 1695 and, on September 12 of that year, was appointed meesterknecht at De Metaale Pot. In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Delftware factories, a meesterknecht held an important managerial and technical role, often supervising production and contributing directly to design and decoration.

While the LVE mark indicates production during Lambertus van Eenhoorn’s ownership of De Metaale Pot (1691–1721), the accompanying initials likely identify the actual maker, designer, or decorator of the piece. The presence of similar objects marked LVE and IVB, or even IVB alone, strongly suggests that Jan van der Burgh was directly involved in their creation. This attribution not only provides a more traceable provenance for the cruet set but also enriches our broader art historical understanding of the production of Delftware.