D2526. Pair of Blue and White Ewers

Delft, circa 1690

Each marked AK and numeral 10 in blue for Adrianus Kocx, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701

Each painted on the ovoid body with three ‘Tudor Rose’ blossoms alternating with three pomegranates within panels bordered with a band of dentil devices and trefoils, the shoulders with four panels with flower motifs, repeated on the domed foot, the flaring cylindrical neck with a stylized tulip motif beneath the fringed spout and affixed at the back with a rope-twist handle.

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 31 and 32 cm. (12.2 and 12.6 in.)

NOTE
The Tudor rose, also known as the Union rose, is the traditional floral heraldic symbol of England, with origins linked to the House of Tudor, which united the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The rose features five white inner petals representing the House of York and five red outer petals symbolizing the House of Lancaster. During the reign of King William III and Queen Mary, Delftware pieces were often presented as gifts to European nobility. This tradition continued after Queen Mary’s death in 1695, with King William distributing many of her Delftware pieces to English nobles. These objects frequently bore symbols of the kingdom, such as the William and Mary monogram in calligraphy or emblematic motifs like the Irish harp or the Tudor rose.

Many Delftware pieces featuring this emblem are marked for De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory, renowned as one of the most prestigious Delftware
producers. It is unsurprising that this factory served as a supplier to the royal court. Queen Mary commissioned numerous pieces from De Grieksche
A to decorate the Royal residence, Palace Het Loo, during Samuel van Eenhoorn’s ownership of the factory from 1678 to 1685. The royal couple
continued to support the factory after moving to England, ordering impressive Delftware under Adrianus Kocx’s management from 1687 to 1701. In addition to Mary’s personal commissions, William and Mary also gifted Delftware from De Grieksche A to hosts and noblemen who had supported them
during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. These royal gifts have since been discovered in castles and palaces throughout Europe.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
A pair of large ewers on a pedestal, marked for Adrianus Kocx, decorated with the Tudor rose (inv. no. 1083.1-2) are in the Royal Collections in
Hampton Court Palace. Also in the Hampton Court Palace is an unmarked vase with snake handles that bears this decoration. Another Delftware
object bearing the Tudor rose is a large blue and white oval flower vase, which is currently in a private collection. Marked for Adrianus Kocx,
the vase was probably acquired by Lady Mary Mordaunt (1658/9-1705), Duchess of Norfolk and 7th Baroness Mordaunt, and her second husband
Sir John Germain(e), 1st Baronet (1650-1718), for the King’s Dining Room in Drayton House, Lowick, Northamptonshire. The sumptuous flower
vases marked with the Tudor rose are well known, but there are smaller objects that bear the same vases, often marked for Adrianus Kocx.