In-depth Articles

In 1658 'De Grieksche A' (The Greek A) transformed from a beer brewery into a pottery factory, retaining its name and flourishing into one of the most successful potteries in Delft. Under various skilled and innovative owners, the factory produced high-quality Delftware well into the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Its success is underscored…

Preserving History: Van Speyk's Portrait on a Delft Dish On February 5, 1831, now 193 years ago, Dutch naval history was made when hero Jan C. J. van Speyk detonated his own ship. As we approach the anniversary, it's an opportune time to share this narrative, which is greatly illustrated by a Delft faience commemorative…

Delft Faience Horses as Art and Symbol Horses have forged a unique and enduring connecting with humans due to their  remarkable blend of intelligence, elegance, and strength. Initially hunted, the horse earned admiration, prompting humans to recognize their utility. Over time, horses became invaluable as diligent workers, a source of pleasure in sports, and even…

Dutch seaborne trade and the spread of Delft faience in the Baltic region   (Fig. 1) Tulipière, Delft, circa 1690, marked AK for Adrianus Kocx, owner of 'De Grieksche A' (The Greek A) from 1686 until 1701, Collection of Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, Inv. nr. Inv. nr 1891-282   The mother of…

The leading Ladies of the Delft pottery industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Based on sixteenth and seventeenth century travel reports, Dutch women were bossy, decisive, dominant, imperious, and exceptionally clean.(1) While these claims were likely exaggerated, they would have stemmed from the astonishment over the extensive freedom enjoyed by Dutch women compared their…

We recently acquired a very rare, large Delft tureen with cover and stand. The stand and body are decorated in monochrome manganese, and the cover with a green and ochre knop. Traditionally, research has favored the origins of Blue and White Delftware, Imari- and Cashmere palettes, White Delft and objects decorated with Petit-Feu colors. However,…

Attributing marks to the Witte Ster (the White Star) factory and in particular to specific persons, has been difficult over the years due to limited archival material. Henry Havard, a French art critic and researcher made the first attempt to attribute marks when he produced a catalogue for the Delftware collection of the famous Dutch…

Natural disasters have wreaked havoc on civilizations throughout time. The effects of devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are still felt today. On a smaller scale, a recent earthquakes in the Dutch province of Groningen was very impactful for the people involved. Although rare, several earthquakes were reported in Western Europe in the seventeenth century.…

Delftware is a popular term applied not only to tin-glazed earthenware made in the city of Delft, but in many other production centers within the Netherlands and beyond, especially in England. Starting in the early seventeenth century, English earthenware was called ‘Galleyware,’ later 'White Ware' and subsequently known as Delft or more common 'English Delftware'.…

In the 1690s, English courtiers ordered elaborate Delft flower vases and garden pots for display in their palaces and gardens filled with costly exotics as visual evidence of their loyalty to the new Dutch monarchs William III and Queen Mary II. Their inspiration was Hampton Court Palace, and in particular the pavilion, known as the…