Delft, circa 1710

Marked LVE 1 0 CB + in blue for Lambertus van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1691 to 1721 or his widow Margaretha Teckmann from 1721 to 1724

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 20.4 cm. (8 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

NOTE
The front of this heart-shaped flower vase is painted with Flora, shown draped in flowing garments and holding a basket of fruit, surrounded by small floral sprigs and cross motifs that are repeated on the reverse. Her calm yet animated pose and the abundance of vegetal attributes identify her unambiguously as the Roman goddess of spring, flowers, and the renewal of nature.

Flora occupied a prominent position in the decorative repertory of late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century Delftware. Rooted in classical mythology, she was associated with seasonal regeneration, fecundity, and the cyclical rhythms of the natural world. These associations made her an especially appropriate subject for spouted flower vases, objects whose very function was to support and display freshly cut blooms. In this context, Flora’s presence operates both symbolically and conceptually: she personifies the life-giving forces that the vase was designed to showcase.

Her imagery resonated strongly with contemporary intellectual and cultural currents in the Dutch Republic. The period witnessed a growing fascination with botany, stimulated by scientific inquiry, the establishment of botanical gardens, and the influx of new and exotic plant species through global trade networks. Flowers became objects of study, prestige, and connoisseurship, and their cultivation was closely linked to social status and refined taste. Within this climate, Flora came to embody not only natural fertility but also the cultivated appreciation of nature as shaped by human knowledge and artistic sensibility.

On Delftware, and particularly on multi-spouted flower vases, Flora thus functions as a mediating figure between nature and art. Her classical origins lent intellectual authority and cultural prestige, while her floral attributes aligned her with contemporary horticultural interests. The depiction of Flora on this vase reflects the convergence of classical allegory, early modern botanical culture, and the aesthetic ambitions of Delft potters at the turn of the eighteenth century, transforming a functional object into a richly symbolic work of art.

Delft, circa 1735

DIMENSIONS
Height: 10.7 cm. (4.2 in.); Overall height: 12.6 cm. (5 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection, Maastricht;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam;
Collection Nijstad, Lochem

LITERATURE
exh. cat. Meesterwerken uit Delft, Museum
Het Prinsenhof Delft, June 2 – August 15, 1962,
p. 90, no. 273;
Aronson 2017, pp. 76-77, no. 39, 

NOTE
This finely painted polychrome petit feu and gilded ewer, fitted with a Dutch silver cover, forms part of a rare eighteenth-century children’s service associated with the Van der Heim family. The pear-shaped body is decorated in blue, iron-red, green, and gold, displaying the arms of the Van der Heim family set within elaborate foliate mantling and surmounted by a crown. Flanking the heraldry are two dancing boys, each holding foliate sprigs in both hands, their animated figures providing a lively counterpoint to the formal armorial device. The neck is encircled by a band of floral and foliate lappets alternating with diaper panels, while the loop handle is embellished with a sinuous flowering vine.

The silver cover, fitted with a circular thumbpiece and attached to the handle by a hinged foliate mount, is marked for Michael Mennigh, active in The Hague from 1718 to 1738, and dated 1735. Although both Lunsingh Scheurleer (1984, p. 121) and Van Aken-Fehmers (1999, p. 263) have dated the service to around 1750, the hallmark places the silverwork, and by extension possibly the production of the ewer, within Mennigh’s documented period of activity.

Comparable objects from this children’s armorial service are preserved in the Kunstmuseum The Hague, underscoring the significance of this ensemble within the decorative traditions of elite Dutch families. The present ewer, with its delicate petit feu palette, gilding, and heraldic decoration, offers a refined example of how Delftware potters and contemporary silversmiths collaborated to create luxury objects that combined personal identity, craftsmanship, and domestic ceremony.

Delft, circa 1740

DIMENSIONS
Height: 11.8 cm. (4.7 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection, Amsterdam

NOTE
This Delftware figure reflects the European fascination with Asia that developed in the seventeenth century and reached its height in the early eighteenth century. Driven by the activities of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), Asian goods such as porcelain, lacquer, and carved figures entered the Dutch Republic and inspired a wide range of artistic responses, from direct imitation to imaginative hybrid forms known as chinoiserie.

The figure is clearly inspired by Chinese prototypes. Shown wearing flowing robes and holding a shallow dish, he recalls types well known in China during the Kangxi period (1662–1722). Delft potters likely based their designs on Chinese figures in enameled biscuit porcelain from Jingdezhen, or on comparable sculptures carved in soapstone or wood. Such objects reached the Netherlands as early as the seventeenth century, initially as rare curiosities brought back by VOC employees or acquired by elite collectors. Their presence is documented, for example, in W. and J. Blaeu’s Nieuwe Atlas (1655), which includes an illustration of a seated Guanyin closely resembling contemporary Chinese sculpture.

From the late seventeenth century onward, the VOC imported increasing numbers of Chinese and Japanese figures, making them accessible to a wider audience. By the eighteenth century they had become established elements of the domestic interior, displayed on mantelpieces, cabinets, and shelves. Delft chinoiserie figures often closely follow their Asian models, suggesting that Chinese originals were used to create plaster molds by Delft vormers (shapers).

Delftware figures were produced in several variants: plain white-glazed examples, blue-and-white, polychrome, and red earthenware. The present polychrome decoration, with its vivid yellows, blues, and iron-red accents, reflects mid-eighteenth-century taste and the Delft factory’s confident adaptation of foreign models. Contemporary paintings and prints, such as Pieter Jansz. de Ruyven’s Schoorsteenstuk met aardewerk en papegaaien (1719) and Pieter van den Berge’s De namiddag (circa 1710), show comparable figures arranged as decorative accents within fashionable interiors.

Delft, circa 1740

DIMENSIONS
Height: 10.7 cm. (4.2 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection, Maastricht;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

LITERATURE
Fourest 1980, p. 159

NOTE
Introduced to Europe at the end of the fifteenth century, tobacco rapidly transitioned from a botanical curiosity with purported medicinal benefits to a widely consumed commodity. In the Dutch Republic, tobacco culture developed earlier and more extensively than in most neighboring countries. Domestic cultivation emerged in regions such as Utrecht and Gelderland, while large quantities of tobacco imported from the English colonies in Virginia helped meet the growing demand. By the seventeenth century, despite persistent objections from both church authorities and civic officials, smoking had become a familiar social habit embraced across all levels of society.

The widespread use of tobacco generated a rich and varied material culture. Early tobacco boxes made of silver, brass, ivory, and shell served as both practical containers and markers of social standing. Delftware initially entered this sphere through tiles and plates depicting scenes of tobacco use, but by the late seventeenth century Delft potters began producing dedicated utensils for the trade. Some of the earliest Delft faience forms associated with tobacco include spittoons and cuspidors, soon followed by tobacco boxes for domestic use and larger jars intended for storage in shops and warehouses.

Far from being purely functional, Delft tobacco boxes and jars were designed to be visually prominent. Displayed in homes, taverns, and commercial interiors, they communicated refinement, prosperity, and participation in an increasingly global luxury economy. Their decorative schemes, often combining floral ornament, allegorical figures, or genre scenes, demonstrate how Delft potters responded to new consumer tastes shaped by the expanding tobacco trade.

Delft, dated 1731

DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 34 cm. (13.4 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam, 1993

NOTE
This Delftware charger is painted with a narrative composition drawn from the Christian biblical tradition. Intended primarily for display on walls or dresser shelves, it functioned as a focal point of narrative, devotion, and status within the domestic interior.

The production of biblical subjects in Delftware reflects the profound influence of printed sources, woodcuts, etchings, and engravings, that circulated widely throughout the Dutch Republic. These prints provided Delft painters with a repertoire of scenes from the Old and New Testaments, which were skillfully adapted to the curved ceramic surface, balancing narrative clarity with decorative rhythm.

While earlier biblical chargers sometimes date to the late seventeenth century, the present charger, dated 1731, demonstrates the sustained popularity of the form into the early eighteenth century. The inscribed text, dated “Anno 1731 den 28 Juny,” likely represents a personal or communal statement of faith, consistent with a tradition in which such chargers served not only decorative but also devotional and commemorative functions.

Biblical chargers occupy a distinctive place within Delft’s output. Unlike utilitarian tableware, their scale and narrative ambition assert a dual role as vehicles of visual storytelling and as refined interior ornaments. They embody the intersection of Protestant and Catholic devotional cultures in the Dutch Republic: while the printed Word remained central to Protestant religious life, visual representations of scripture continued to find resonance across confessional boundaries.

The central composition is framed by an elaborate ornamental border incorporating architectural elements and stylized motifs, a hallmark of Delft chargers of this period. Biblical chargers occupy a distinctive place within Delft’s ceramic output, asserting a dual role as vehicles of visual storytelling and refined interior ornaments. By incorporating the inscribed Word as the focal element, this charger underscores the primacy of scripture in Protestant devotional culture while affirming Delft’s position as a center of artistic production in the eighteenth century.

Delft, circa 1725

Marked with an unidentifiable letter D in blue;
The silver mark of Abraham Marshoorn, active 1722–1754; working in Amsterdam 1722–1734, with the city assay mark of Amsterdam. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of our colleague Emiel Aardewerk in the identification of these marks.

DIMENSIONS
Height: 23.5 cm. (9.3 in.)

NOTE
This  tankard is fitted with a domed silver cover and thumbpiece, almost certainly added shortly after firing by a Dutch silversmith. Such mounts protected the rim, improved functionality, and enhanced the object’s visual and material value, positioning the tankard as a refined domestic object suited to polite social settings.

The decoration consists of a continuous chinoiserie landscape populated by figures engaged in everyday activities. The principal scene shows several men gathered around a well or water source, one seated at a table with books or papers while others stand nearby in conversation. The setting is completed with stylized rockwork, trees, and architectural features such as a pavilion or tower in the background. These elements are characteristic of Delft painters’ engagement with Chinese visual sources.

The imagery derives from Chinese woodblock prints and export porcelain, which circulated widely in Europe from the seventeenth century onward through the networks of the Dutch East India Company. Scenes of figures near wells, tables, or garden structures frequently appear on late Ming and early Qing porcelain, where they form part of a broader pictorial vocabulary depicting scholars or gentlemen in outdoor settings. In Delft, such scenes were adopted for their compositional appeal rather than for their specific narrative content.

The well depicted here should not be interpreted as part of a Buddhist story. Instead, it functions as a pictorial motif drawn from secular Chinese imagery. While wells could carry symbolic meanings in Chinese culture, Delft painters generally approached such elements as visually engaging components that organized space and introduced variety within a landscape.

The form of the vessel is distinctly European, designed for the consumption of beer or wine, and demonstrates how Asian-inspired imagery was applied to Western shapes. The combination of a Delftware body with a silver mount underscores the object’s dual character: ceramic in origin, yet integrated into the material culture of early eighteenth-century Dutch interiors.

Delft, circa 1720

DIMENSIONS
Height: 27 cm. (10.6 in.)

PROVENANCE
French Private Collection

NOTE
This unusual Delft figure represents Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, fertility, and festivity (equivalent to the Greek Dionysus). The nude male figure is shown in motion, modeled with one foot slightly forward on a round, raised pedestal. In both hands he holds clusters of blue grapes, the fruit most closely associated with Bacchus.

In the early eighteenth century, Europe witnessed a renewed fascination with the classical world, a movement nourished by Enlightenment ideals and the early stirrings of Neoclassicism. Mythological subjects became highly fashionable across the arts, and Bacchus in particular embodied themes of abundance, indulgence, and festivity, concepts that resonated strongly in Dutch banquet culture. Delft potters responded to this taste by producing both functional and decorative objects incorporating Bacchic imagery. From freestanding statuettes to jovial decorations on wine coolers and cisterns, Bacchus appeared as the embodiment of convivial pleasure and the delights of the table.

This figure of Bacchus appears to be unique; no other directly comparable Delft example is currently known. It can, however, be related in conception to other surviving Delft representations of classical deities. These include a polychrome Mercurius and Diana in the Kunstmuseum, The Hague (inv. no. 1059398); a blue-and-white Mercurius and Diana also in the Kunstmuseum (inv. no. 1059395); and a single polychrome Mercurius in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. BK-NM-13345). The Bacchus figure stands within this rare tradition of Delft sculptural works.

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

DIMENSIONS
Height: 14 cm. (5.1 in.)

PROVENANCE
Private Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam;
Günther Grethe Collection, Hamburg

LITERATURE
Aronson 2004, p. 139, no. 161

NOTE
The Budai Heshang, often known in the West as the “Laughing Buddha,” is a well-loved figure in Chinese culture and Buddhism. Based on a semi-legendary monk of the late Tang or early Song dynasty, Budai’s name, meaning “cloth sack,” refers to the bag he carried, from which he distributed food and gifts to those in need. Regarded as a manifestation of Maitreya, the future Buddha, he embodies abundance, contentment, and generosity. His cheerful, corpulent form, with its prominently exposed belly, became a symbol of happiness and prosperity across East Asia, offering a relaxed, approachable counterpart to the more formal depictions of the Buddha.

From the late seventeenth century onward, European trade with China, particularly through the Dutch East India Company (VOC), brought Budai imagery into European decorative arts. Porcelain figures from Dehua, known as blanc de Chine, were shipped in large numbers to the Netherlands and England, where they inspired local ceramic production. Delft potters adapted the form, translating the serene white porcelain into their own tin-glazed earthenware, often enlivened with polychrome decoration. While retaining the essential elements of Budai’s Chinese iconography, seated posture, smiling face, ample belly, Delft versions incorporated Dutch decorative sensibilities, making the figure resonate with European collectors fascinated by “exotic” subjects.

The model for this Delft figure likely derives from a Dehua blanc de Chine seated Budai made between 1640 and 1680, a type that continued to be exported into the early eighteenth century. Less likely is influence from early Meissen porcelain Budai figures of circa 1712–1720, themselves based on the Chinese prototypes.

Delft, circa 1710

Attributed to Lambertus van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1691 to 1721

DIMENSIONS
Height: 22 cm. (8.7 in.)

NOTE
This bust of a lady belongs to a small but significant group of figural Delftware sculptures that translate sculptural portrait traditions into tin-glazed earthenware. Modeled as a half-length female figure mounted on an integral pedestal, the bust reflects the growing ambition of Delft potters in the early eighteenth century to move beyond purely functional wares and into the realm of decorative sculpture.

The woman is depicted with softly modeled facial features, her head turned slightly to one side, and her hair arranged in loose curls gathered at the back, a coiffure consistent with contemporary European fashions around 1700.  She wears a draped garment loosely crossing the chest, leaving the neckline exposed, and is adorned with a necklace and pendant, details that emphasize femininity, refinement, and social status rather than individual likeness.

While the bust has sometimes been interpreted as a portrait, it is more convincingly understood as an idealized or allegorical female figure rather than a depiction of a specific historical individual. Delft potters frequently drew inspiration from contemporary prints, sculptural models, and allegorical imagery circulating in Europe, particularly representations of classical goddesses, muses, or personifications of abstract virtues such as Beauty, Abundance, or Harmony. The generalized features and lack of identifying attributes argue against a precise portrait identification.

Busts like the present likely functioned as decorative objects intended for display on mantelpieces or cabinets, aligning with the period’s taste for sculptural accents within domestic interiors. Their form echoes contemporary stone or bronze busts, scaled down and adapted to ceramic production. In the broader context of Delftware, figural busts such as this one illustrate the intersection of ceramic art with sculpture, print culture, and interior decoration. They testify to the versatility of Delft workshops around 1710 and their engagement with international artistic trends, translating elite sculptural formats into a medium accessible to a wider, though still affluent, audience. Whether understood as an allegorical figure, or a generalized “lady of fashion,” this object exemplifies Delft’s capacity to merge painterly surface decoration with three-dimensional form in a manner both inventive and refined.