For a relatively small “country” (it is actually a constitutional monarchy) the Netherlands has quite a bit of highly recognizable iconicities, including this week’s subject – the pottery of Delft. What I learned may surprise you.
Background – Delft is a picturesque town situated on the Schie River in Southern Holland, between Rotterdam and The Hague. In addition to canals, medieval architecture and the aforementioned Delftware, it is also the birthplace of the painter Johannes Vermeer whose works include the Girl With a Pearl Earring. Here is a facsimile of the painting on a Delft Plate:
How did this town become the birthplace of Delft pottery? The Dutch East India Company had been bringing Chinese porcelain to the Netherlands, starting in the early 17th Century. It was instantly extremely popular, particularly among the upper class. The frugal Dutch wanted to create a less expensive version. While many towns tried to replicate Chinese porcelain, they didn’t have the particular clay needed. Potters in Antwerp implemented a process using tin which helped to make its clay glaze white. These Antwerp potters settled in Delft after the former town’s fall to a Spanish siege in 1585 . The early objects created by these potters were coarse plates, bowls and platters that were tin-glazed and painted on one side, but the Delft potters soon began using this technique to make a product with a thin body, a clean white surface and a glossy finish. By copying the bright blue paintwork of the Chinese porcelain, Delft pottery looked so similar they began to be referred to as Delft ‘porceleyn’. Only a few families knew the secrets of how to make this pottery and fiercely guarded their techniques. By 1700, there were 34 workshops and potteries in the town. They produced millions of objects a year and their products were sold all over the world.
Sadly through world competition, particularly China with ita hordes of cheap labor, the world of Delft declined. Of the more than 30 pottery factories that were located in Delft and the surrounding area around the middle of the 17th century, De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles is the only one left. I was very fortunate to visit this fascinating home of the incredible Delft works.
Many of the less expensive Delft blue pottery is now made by contact prints, there are still high end items that are hand painted – this sweet woman showed us how much patience and dexterity is needed – all with a smile on her face:
Delt Blue pottery comes in all shapes and sizes:
But the pottery is not always just blue and white:
There is even a “proud Mary” edition – named after Mary II, the wife of Stadtholder William III and a great lover and collector of Delft Blue in its Golden Age:
My friend Lenore purchased one of these these adorable pieces. As for me – I am still mulling over the possible purchase of an exquisite working clock:
Tic Tok!
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