The Dutch East India Company (VOC) found in the faraway lands that they visited many treasures and commodities, that were uncommon at that time in the Netherlands. Besides the popular and desired import commodity Chinese porcelain, Asia’s botanical imports were arguably even more widely enjoyed, and had a greater economic impact than did any of…
Every month we present a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs’ collection. This month we would like to show you this beautiful blue and white cuspidor, which was made in the city of Delft around 1740. The word ‘cuspidor’ (kwispedoor) comes from the same word in Portuguese: cuspidouro, meaning ‘place for spitting’ and has its…
He only stands about 11 cm. (4.5 in.) tall, but the fierce expression and posture of this Delftware Chinese warrior figure does not make him less impressive. In the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth century, the fascination for the Far East was triggered nationwide by the many curiosities that were brought home.…
Every month we present a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs’ collection. This month we would like to show you this blue and white emblematic figure of Winter. The youth, wearing a soft hat, an open jacket and baggy breeches, has his hands tucked into his waistcoat to protect himself against the cold. This model…
In 1678 Samuel van Eenhoorn inherited from his father one of the most famous and prestigious Delftware factories that history records, De Grieksche A (The Greek A). The family adventure started in 1658 when Wouter van Eenhoorn - Samuel’s father - bought what originally was a beer brewery. This particularly seasoned businessman already owned several…
Every month we present a special object from the Aronson Antiquairs’ collection. This month we would like to show you this polychrome model of a baby in a cradle, dated circa 1765. The little baby lies comfortably in its bright yellow cradle. Of course, the yellow delineated in iron-red represents wicker, the perfect material to create…
With their high intelligence and their humanlike behaviour in which we can recognize our own, monkeys and apes were either loved or hated.In art, from the fourteenth throughout the seventeenth century, monkeys were not so much targets of ridicule themselves, but were used to point out the idiocies of human endeavour. Especially the Flemish engraver…
Over the centuries and throughout the arts the swan has symbolized beauty, elegance and perfection. Celebrating the popularity and the status of the noble swan, it is no surprise that historically the majestic bird often was chosen to decorate the table during a dinner party given by a prosperous family. As the hunt for this game…
On September 17, 1787, the United States Constitution was signed in Philadelphia. However, Holland was simultaneously undergoing a great deal of tumult with the Prussian invasion. This blue and white charger, dated September 16, 1787 is a poignant reminder of the event. The text on the charger reads “September 16 was elk in lij, 3…
‘Do not ingest, do not breath dust’ warns Ralph Mayer in The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques in the white lead section, and indeed, since 1994, the material has been banned from sale within the European Union except under special conditions.[1] Today many traditional potters use non-lead glazes, but in the seventeenth and eighteenth…
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