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 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

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 1695

Marked AK in blue for Adrianus Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701

DIMENSIONS
Height 28 cm. (11 in.)

NOTE
This flower vase represents an early and ambitious phase in the development of multi-spouted flower holders in Delft, produced around 1690 at the factory De Grieksche A under the direction of Adrianus Kocx. Vases of this type belong to the formative generation of Delft flower holders, when potters were experimenting with complex architectural forms designed to accommodate the fashionable display of cut flowers within domestic interiors.

The vase is constructed from stacked, bulbous elements rising from a faceted foot, with each tier pierced by short, projecting spouts arranged radially around the body and culminating in a central neck. This tiered construction reflects a modular approach to ceramic design, in which separately thrown and molded components were assembled into a unified sculptural form. Such structures allowed for the placement of individual flower stems at varying heights, creating a carefully orchestrated floral arrangement that emphasized symmetry and verticality.

The imagery draws upon Chinese decorative sources, mediated through late seventeenth-century European interpretations of porcelain decoration. The integration of birds and flowering plants within a continuous pictorial field enhances the organic relationship between the painted surface and the vase’s intended function as a flower holder.

Flower vases of this complexity emerged in Delft around the final decades of the seventeenth century, closely associated with the production of De Grieksche A, one of the most innovative and technically accomplished factories of the period. Under Adrianus Kocx, the factory played a central role in refining both the form and decoration of flower holders, responding to the growing demand for elaborate display objects that reflected contemporary tastes for symmetry, ornament, and botanical abundance.

Delft, circa 1690

Unidentifiably marked and numbered with a dashed O 10, attributed to Adrianus Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701

DIMENSIONS
Height 20.5 cm. (8 in.)

PROVENANCE
Belgian private collection;
Salomon Stodel, Amsterdam;
Collection Mrs. Richard Ernst;
Sotheby’s New York, 31 October 1981, lot no. 26

NOTE
This exceptionally rare Delft flower vase belongs to the celebrated tradition of multi-spouted flower holders produced in Delft from the 1680s until approximately 1740. Such vases were conceived to accommodate fashionable floral displays in which individual stems could be arranged separately, reflecting contemporary horticultural interests and the growing prestige of cut flowers within elite interiors of the Dutch Republic.

The earliest Delft flower vases of this type were relatively restrained in form. Known as quintel vases, they consisted of a compact body surmounted by a single fan-shaped row of five tubular spouts. These early examples, introduced in the late seventeenth century, already demonstrate the ingenuity of Delft potters in adapting ceramic forms to specific domestic uses. As demand increased and competition between factories intensified, the basic model was progressively elaborated. Additional rows of spouts were introduced, the bodies became more sculptural, and the silhouettes evolved into oval or heart-shaped profiles that offered greater visual impact and complexity.

The present vase represents an advanced stage in this development. It is distinguished by its double row of spouts, a feature encountered only rarely and indicative of experimental design within the Delft industry. The body has been transformed into a sculptural, heart-shaped form supported by a pedestal foot, and is flanked by striking salamander-shaped handles, a motif documented in the output of both De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) and De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factories. 

The salamander-shaped handles contribute an additional symbolic layer. In seventeenth-century emblematic thought, the salamander was believed to possess the ability to live in or withstand fire, making it a potent symbol of resilience, purity, and incorruptibility. The incorporation of such creatures on Delft flower vases may therefore be read not merely as decorative whimsy, but as an allusion to desirable moral and intellectual qualities, subtly reinforcing the vase’s status as a prestigious and meaningful object.

Delft, circa 1690

Both marked AK in blue for Adrianus Kocx, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701, and each further accompanied by a distinct figurative mark corresponding to its cover.

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 29 cm. (11.4 in.) and 28.8 cm. (11.3 in.)

PROVENANCE
French Private Collection, Paris

NOTE
The form of the pilgrim bottle has a long and cross-cultural history. In the West, it can be traced to Roman flasks carried by travelers, while in the East it appears in seventh-century Chinese examples, often in ceramics or metalwork. Over the centuries, the form was adapted in a remarkable variety of materials, earthenware, porcelain, silver, glass, and even leather, its flattened, rounded body and narrow neck making it practical for transport. By the seventeenth century, however, many pilgrim bottles, such as this finely painted Delft pair, were conceived not as functional vessels for travel, but as highly ornamental pieces for display.

The Delft potters of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries were well aware of the prestige attached to silver pilgrim bottles. In that period, such vessels were considered among the most impressive elements of a royal silver buffet, their elegant symmetry and broad surfaces lending themselves to elaborate decoration. Some were presented as diplomatic or noble gifts, embodying wealth, status, and skilled craftsmanship. Delft potters adapted these luxury metal prototypes into tin-glazed earthenware, translating the silversmith’s sculptural form into a ceramic medium while enriching it with colorful painted ornament derived from Chinese porcelain or European baroque motifs.

In the Dutch Republic, decorative pilgrim bottles often occupied pride of place in the home, either as part of a garniture on a mantel or cabinet, or arranged symmetrically in pairs. While functional versions were still produced in silver and leather for actual travel, Delftware examples like this pair served a purely aesthetic purpose, reflecting both the global inspirations and the technical mastery of the Delft factories.

Delft, circa 1690

Marked AK No 8 in blue for Adrianus Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701

DIMENSIONS
Height: 24.5 cm. (9.7 in.)

NOTE
Covered ceramic vessels of varying shapes and styles became known in the Netherlands as gemberpotten, or ginger jars. The earliest documented use of this term appears in 1635 in Dutch ship inventories, where such jars are listed among transported goods, a usage discussed by Grasskamp and Wu (Vormen uit Vuur 232, 2016, p. 67). Although the name suggests a specific association with ginger, these containers were used far more broadly, holding items such as dried fruits, aromatic spices, and other valuable commodities.

Within Europe, lidded jars of this type gradually evolved from strictly utilitarian storage vessels into decorative objects appreciated for their form and painted ornament. Nonetheless, many examples undoubtedly continued to serve practical household functions alongside their aesthetic appeal.

This notably slender jar reflects the influence of seventeenth-century Transitional Chinese porcelain, whose elegant silhouettes and restrained decoration were widely admired in the Dutch Republic. Comparable forms are known from the Hatcher cargo, a mid-seventeenth-century shipwreck that yielded a significant group of Transitional porcelain and provides important evidence for the models that inspired early Delftware production.

Delft, circa 1680
Marked 2 / SVE in manganese for Samuel van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1678 until 1685

DIMENSIONS
Height: 14.4 cm. (5.7 in.)

NOTE
This flower vase represents a rare and historically significant early phase in the development of Delft flower holders, produced circa 1680 at the factory De Grieksche A (The Greek A) under the ownership of Samuel van Eenhoorn.

The vase is conceived as a compact, globular body fitted with a short central neck and three outward-projecting tubular spouts, creating a sculptural yet highly functional arrangement for individual flower stems. This configuration differs markedly from the tiered, architectural flower pyramids that would dominate Delft production from the 1690s onward. Its restrained scale and integrated silhouette point to an experimental stage in which potters explored how flowers might be displayed within ceramic vessels before standardized models emerged.

The origins of this form are likely to be sought outside Delft. Comparable early flower holders were produced in Nevers around 1660, where French faience potters developed small-scale multi-spouted vases inspired by Mediterranean maiolica traditions and possibly by metal or glass flower containers.

The painted surface with Chinese-inspired figural scenes and ornamental borders derived from Wanli and Transitional porcelain. This decoration underscores the hybrid nature of the object: while its form reflects Western European experimentation with flower display, its imagery aligns it firmly with the Delft potters’ engagement with East Asian visual sources. Such combinations are characteristic of De Grieksche A, a factory renowned for its technical ambition and its role in shaping new ceramic types.

Flower vases of this early date are exceedingly rare. Most surviving Delft examples postdate circa 1690, when demand for elaborate flower holders increased alongside the fashion for exotic blooms. As an early and unusual model, this vase occupies a crucial position in the history of Delftware, marking the transition from isolated experiments toward the fully developed flower pyramids of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It stands as an important testament to Delft’s role in adapting international ceramic ideas into innovative local forms, and to the pioneering output of De Grieksche A under Van Eenhoorn.

Delft, circa 1710

Marked PAK in blue 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: 11.8 cm. (4.6 in.)

NOTE
This tea canister is a refined example of early eighteenth-century Delftware, distinguished by its molded form, dense surface decoration, marked for Pieter Adriaensz. Kocks, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory in Delft from 1701 until his death in 1703, and subsequently used by his widow, Johanna van der Heul, who managed the factory until 1722.

The canister’s fluted, slightly tapering body reflects an increasing interest among Delft potters in molded forms during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. This fluting not only enhanced the object’s tactile and visual appeal but also allowed potters to articulate light and shadow across the surface, creating a dynamic interplay between form and ornament. The sculptural treatment of the body demonstrates the technical confidence and aesthetic ambition of Delft factories at this moment.

The decoration within the cartouches consists of stylized floral and vegetal motifs derived from Chinese porcelain prototypes of the late Ming and early Qing periods, here reinterpreted with a distinctly European sense of rhythm and symmetry. The surrounding ground is densely filled with scrolling foliage and floral diaper patterns, a compositional strategy that reflects both the desire to emulate imported porcelain and the Delftware tradition of minimizing empty space in order to heighten visual richness.