Delft, circa 1765

DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 23 cm. (9 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection, Maastricht;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

NOTE
The precise function of Delftware plates and plaques painted with a yellow ground and decorated with garnitures, cuspidors, teapots, and other ceramic wares arranged in rows remains uncertain. Although documentary evidence is lacking, these rare objects have long been interpreted as sample plates, possibly used by Delftware factories to display their inventory and demonstrate the technical and artistic skill of their painters. Their concept may have been inspired by Chinese Kangxi-period porcelain decorated with assemblages of loose objects, motifs such as the “Hundred Antiquities” or “Eight Precious Objects.” Unlike the freely scattered compositions on Chinese porcelain, however, Delft painters arranged their objects in orderly rows and depicted them with a markedly higher degree of realism. These differences support the idea that the Delft examples served as structured catalogues of production rather than purely decorative motifs.

The bright yellow glaze used on these plates further underscores their prestige. As described by Gerrit Paape in De Plateelbakker of Delftsch Aardewerkmaaker (1794), Delft painters employed two recipes for yellow, both requiring antimony and gold litharge: materials that were costly and hazardous. The glaze was notoriously difficult to fire: it could burn easily, and pieces often required multiple firings. Paape notes that the pigment was applied in small bits on saucers dusted with ash to prevent sticking, then fired on the crown of the kiln.

Although these dishes are unmarked, stylistic parallels, including a marked plaque in the Kunstmuseum The Hague (inv. no. OC(D)245-1904), support an attribution to De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory. Yet if the plates truly functioned as sample wares, their manufacture may not have been limited to a single workshop. This example continues the Delft tradition of “sample” designs, especially popular between 1750 and 1775, and reflects both technical ambition and the evolving visual language of Delft faience in the eighteenth century.

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 1780

DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 22.5 cm. (8.9 in.)

PROVENANCE
Sold in a set of three at Mak van Waay Auctions on June 11, 1974, lot no. 1985

NOTE
This blue and white commemorative plate, dated 1791, is painted in the center with an artist at his easel, holding a brush and palette and standing beside a table set with brushes and vessels. A draped curtain and window form the backdrop. The scene is inscribed Gozewijnus Dilbeek 1791.

Gosewijnus Johannes Dilbeek was born in Rotterdam on June 17, 1770, to Johannes Pieter Dilbeek and Maria van ’t Zijn. He married Maria M(e)ijnsbergen in Oude-Tonge on June 16, 1824; of their three children, only the eldest, Johanna Margareta, survived to adulthood. Archival sources list his occupation as verwer, a historical Dutch term denoting a decorator, typically a painter of architectural elements, furnishings, or other objects requiring finished surface ornament.

No specific event linking Dilbeek to the year 1791 has been documented, though the date may simply mark his attainment of the age of majority at twenty-one. Dilbeek died in 1840 at the age of sixty-nine.

Delft, circa 1640
Attributed to Willem Jansz. Verstraeten

DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 26.9 cm. (10.6 in.)

NOTE
This large scalloped crespina is painted in the tradition known as Grotesques à la Patanazzi, named for the refined maiolica dishes produced by the Patanazzi family in Urbino around 1515. The decoration reflects the enduring influence of Italian Renaissance grotesques, with fantastical winged figures, birds, scrolling foliage, and hybrid creatures arranged in a rhythmic pattern. At the center, within concentric ochre borders, stands a cherub wearing only a sash and holding a cross, set against a stylized landscape in ochre, manganese, and blue. The broad, undulating rim is painted with radiating ochre stripes, framing the lively ornamental field. By around 1600, Haarlem had become a leading center for majolica production in the Northern Netherlands, due in part to the migration of skilled potters from Southern Europe. Archival records list some forty-five potters active in the city, though the work of only one, Willem Jansz. Verstraeten, can be securely identified. After training in Delft, Verstraeten established his own pottery in Haarlem in 1625, producing wares of exceptional quality, often inspired by Italian prototypes from Faenza, Montelupo, and Urbino. His adoption of creamy opaque tin glazes, restrained figural decoration, and technical innovations such as glazing the reverse allowed his workshop to compete directly with imported Chinese porcelain. The present large crespina, with its vibrant grotesque ornament and central classical figure, reflects both the technical skill and cosmopolitan design vocabulary of Haarlem’s majolica tradition. Combining Italianate motifs with Dutch craftsmanship, it stands as a testament to the international currents that shaped the decorative arts of the early seventeenth century.

Delft, dated 1720

DIMENSIONS
Vase: Height: 14.8 cm. (5.8 in.);
Butter tub: Height: 14 cm. (5.5 in.)
Dishes: Diameters 22.2-22.6 cm. (8-8.9 in.)

PROVENANCE
Meentwijck Collection;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

LITERATURE
Butter tub: Aronson, 2009, p. 68, no. 42;
Plate “Wie wil Premie?” in Aronson 2011, p. 51, no. 29;
Plate “Actions a vendre” in Aronson 2012, pp. 56-57, no. 32.

NOTE
The figures decorating this vase, butter tub, and accompanying eight plates refer to the South Sea Bubble of 1720, the major financial crisis caused by speculation in the South Sea Company in England. The frenzy soon spread to France and the Dutch Republic, where it became known as the Tafereel der Dwaasheid (“The Great Scene of Madness”). The event was vividly documented in the contemporary satirical compendium Het Groote Tafereel der Dwaasheid (1720), which includes engravings such as De windhandel of bubbel compagnien (“The Air Trade or Bubble Companies”), Arlequin actionist (“Harlequin Shareholder”), and Nederland in gekheid (“The Netherlands in Foolishness”).

The absurdity of the bubble and the widespread financial losses it caused inspired a small but notable group of satirical European ceramics. In the Netherlands, Delftware examples, often called actie borden (“shares plates”), frequently depict jugglers, fools, or Harlequin figures holding share certificates, echoing the humor and critique of contemporary penny prints. These images mocked the folly of speculative investing and served as cautionary reminders to Dutch audiences following the collapse of John Law’s financial system in France (see Howard & Ayers, China for the West, 1978, vol. I, pp. 234–235).

Although only a few Dutch Delft plates with this subject survive, related Chinese export porcelain versions were produced around 1722 in three distinct series for the Dutch market. These typically feature Commedia dell’Arte figures, with or without satirical inscriptions, and are among the most remarkable special commissions made for Dutch clients by the VOC.

The present Delftware group, comprising a vase, a pot, and eight plates, belongs to this rare satirical tradition. By combining spirited imagery with pointed social commentary, these objects capture both the artistic ingenuity of Delft potters and the cultural impact of one of the most notorious financial crises of the early eighteenth century.

Delft, circa 1680

Attributed to Frederik van Frytom (circa 1632-1702)

Painted in the center in an atmospheric style with a huntsman and his dog standing beneath a tree beside a canal with a traveller crossing a bridge beyond and buildings in the distance, within a roundel of two concentric lines.

DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 24.9 cm (9.8 in.)

PROVENANCE
Anonymous sale, 8 dec 1981, lot 134 (two plates from the same series were sold by Phillips in London, march 9th 1988, lots 57 and 58)

EXHIBITION
Exhibited at ‘From Ruisdael through Frytom,’ Royal Delft Museum, De Porceleyne Fles, November 2022 – March 2023 and discussed and illustrated in the accompanying publication

NOTE
This plate displays characteristic details of Frederik van Frytom’s painting style. With a broad white border, a result of the double white method, the attention is drawn towards the depth and light of the blue and white landscape scene. In a manner unique to Van Frytom, he painted landscapes with various shades of blue, using fine outlines and thousands of minuscule dots. His precise landscapes were strongly inspired by the etchings and drawings of artists who undertook the Italian Grand Tour. They show, rather symbolically, the traces of mankind amongst the grandeur of nature. Van Frytom’s landscapes are composed from several different planes and scenery to create the suggestion of space. Often, the foreground is painted with a tree or shrubbery using small pointillist touches, with water, trees and a building in the distance. In between these scenes, small and graciously draped figures are passing through the landscape by foot. By painting the trees on the horizon in a very light, almost vanishing blue, Van Frytom achieved the unusual sense of depth in this panoramic landscape. This plate fits so well within his oeuvre that it can be attributed to Frederik van Frytom with certainty.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
Three similar plates with characteristic elements are in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (inv.
no. BK-1984-28 and BK-NM-12400-34 and a larger example with inv.no. BK-NM-3310). Other similar plates by Van Frytom are in the collection of the Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire in Brussel (inv. nos. Ev. 131A, Ev. 131G).

Delft, circa 1770

Each marked in blue with an axe for De Porceleyne Byl (The Porcelain Axe) factory

Both painted in the center with a scaly herring within a border of leaves and scrolls on the scalloped and barbed edge of the chamfered rectangular rim.

DIMENSIONS
Lengths: both 23.3 cm. (9.2 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Kitty Valkier-Schreurs Collection, Belgium;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

LITERATURE
Described and illustrated in Aronson 2019, pp. 144-145, no. 73

NOTE
DHerring dishes are a longstanding part of the Dutch tradition of herring consumption, where herring is typically served with chopped raw onions and pickles. The Dutch have been eating herring for over a millennium, initially fishing for personal use. However, around the year 1000, commercial herring fishing emerged, spurred by the abundance of herring shoals in the North Sea. Coastal fishing villages quickly developed, taking advantage of this accessible resource. One of the key innovations in the Dutch herring industry was the preservation method called
“gibbing” (Dutch: haringkaken), invented in the late fourtheenth century by Dutch fisherman Willem Beukelszoon. This process involved removing the gills and some internal organs, while leaving the pancreas intact to aid in curing the fish. This method significantly extended the shelf life of the herring, enabling large-scale fishing and export throughout Europe. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, herring fishing became a major economic driver for the Netherlands. In the early seventeenth century, the Dutch herring fleets comprised an estimated 770 ships, far outnumbering the 150 to 200 ships involved in whaling during the same period.

Despite being called raw herring, the dish is not actually raw. The herring is first frozen and then salted for several days to allow it to ripen (producing soused herring). This process made herring not only nutritious but also affordable, with a long shelf life when stored in salted barrels, making it a valuable winter food source.

Delftware herring dishes were common in Dutch kitchens. In addition to a series of plates depicting the journey from herring catch to consumer, various types of herring dishes were produced. These dishes were often shaped like fish or designed in oval or rectangular forms, decorated with images of herring.

Delft, circa 1710

Marked PAK in blue for Pieter 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

Painted in the center with the arms of the Wentworth family with a chevron between three leopard’s heads, encircled by a garter inscribed with the motto HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE beneath an earl’s coronet and between griffin and lion supporters standing on a bracket suspending a banderole with the further motto EN DIEU EST TOUT, the rim with a border of five floral lappets alternating with pendants of tulips, blossoms and scrolls, the underside encircled by three blue lines.

DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 22.4 cm. (8.9 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Peter Van Slyke Collection, U.S.A.;
Christie’s, London, 1-2 December 2015, lot 37;
Property of a Private Collector;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam

LITERATURE
Described and illustrated in Aronson 2009, pp. 64-65, no. 40.

NOTE
The inscription “honi soit mal qui y pense” (shame upon him who thinks evil of it) within a representation of a garter surrounding the shield, is the motto of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. Membership in this English chivalric order is limited to the Sovereign and the Prince of Wales, twenty-four full members, or Companions, and certain Supernumerary Knights and Ladies, including members of the British Royal Family and foreign monarchs. In continuous existence from the 14th century up to the present, one of the current seven foreign monarchs includes Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

When in use with the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, the motto of the Order of the Garter is accompanied by the royal motto, “Dieu et mon droit” (“God and my right”), which is illustrated on a polychrome and gilded PAK-marked Delft dish in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (Lahaussois 1994, p. 56, no. 48). In this case, the coat of arms with the motto “En Dieu est tout” (“In God is All”) on the scroll beneath the shield belongs to the Wentworth family of Woolley, in West Yorkshire, England.The commission of this Delft dish can be related to Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (2nd creation) (1672–1739), who was created a Knight of the Garter in 1712. He was the great-nephew of the statesman Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1st creation) (1593–1641). As the first cousin once removed of William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford, Thomas inherited his title after William’s death in 1695, and thereby also became the 3rd Baron Raby. However, the family estate, Wentworth Woodhouse, was passed on to William’s
nephew Thomas Watson-Wentworth (1693–1750), 1st Marquess of Rockingham.
Thomas Wentworth was a diplomat and First Lord of the Admiralty (1712–1714). In 1711 he became Earl of Strafford, and in 1722 Duke of Strafford. He had been a soldier in the service of Willem III, rising to the rank of colonel of dragoons. Under Queen Anne, he was an envoy to Berlin from 1705 to 1711 and then transferred to The Hague, where he was the British Ambassador to the Dutch Republic from 1711 to 1714.
Together with John Robinson, the Bishop of Bristol, Thomas Wentworth, the Earl of Strafford, was Queen Anne’s plenipotentiary at the Congress of Utrecht. The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht and the 1714 Treaty of Rastatt ended the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), which was intended to prevent French hegemony in Europe. When in 1700 Philip, Duc d’Anjou, a grandson of Louis XIV of France, inherited the Spanish throne from Charles II of Spain and became Philip V of Spain, the possible union of these two powerful monarchies disrupted the European balance of power. In the negotiations, Strafford and his policies, thought to have coerced and abandoned the United Provinces as an ally, apparently were not very popular among the Dutch, for as L. Fray and M. Fray in The Treaties of the War of the Spanish Succession: An Historical and Critical Dictionary (Westport, CT, 1995), indicate, “On occasion his windows were smashed and the Tories were denounced as disguised papists” (p. 490).

As a Tory, Wentworth became equally unpopular in England. Queen Anne, the last monarch of the House of Stuart, was succeeded in 1714 by King George I from the House of Hannover, who favored the Whigs. The Treaty of Utrecht was not popular with the Whigs, and after the Tories lost the 1715 election, the Whigs impeached Tory leaders for their part in the peace negotiations with France. Among them was Thomas Wentworth, and although he was never prosecuted, he subsequently joined the Jacobites.

In 1708, Thomas Wentworth purchased Stainborough Hall in South Yorkshire, which he renamed Wentworth Castle, and enhanced with an expansion designed by the architect Johannes Von Bodt and completed around 1730. The architectural rivalry with his cousin Thomas Watson-Wentworth, who simultaneously was expanding the nearby Wentworth Woodhouse, resulted in Thomas Wentworth building the longest room in Europe at the time, running along the full façade of Wentworth Castle, a challenge met by his cousin, who then built on Wentworth Woodhouse the longest exterior façade. Wentworth family, a distinguished English lineage with roots tracing back to pre-Norman Conquest England, has played a significant role in British history, particularly in Yorkshire. The surname “Wentworth” originates from the village of Wentworth in Yorkshire, where the family established itself as prominent landowners. Notably, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593–1641), exemplified the family’s political prominence as a leading advisor to King Charles I.

Delft, circa 1720

Marked with numeral 2 in blue

The interior painted in the center with a stylized lily amidst a profusion of floral motifs, the rim with a flowering band, and affixed at the rim with two dashed handles.

DIMENSIONS
Width: 21.5 cm. (8.5 in.)

PROVENANCE
Dutch Private Collection

NOTE
During the Middle Ages, it was common for people to share eating utensils, including porringers, which were typically crafted from wood. In the late fourteenth century, the first earthenware porringers emerged. These larger communal vessels often had two handles, making it easier to pass them between diners. By the fifteenth century, pewter porringers were introduced. Although porringers gradually evolved into individual eating utensils, they continued to feature two handles, as seen in this example.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
A similar porringer is depicted in Van Geenen 2017, on p. 287. Another comparable porringer, featuring a blue band along the upper rim, is housed at Het Princessehof Museum in Leeuwarden, on loan from the Ottema Kingma Society (inv. no. OKS 1986-057). The Nederlands Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem also houses two porringers with similar characteristics (inv. nos. NOM.36824-67 and NOM.38739-69).

Delft, circa 1690

Marked AK in blue for Adrianus Kocx, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701

Formed with a central circular blue-ground well reserved with peonies encircled by a herringbone-and-dot border and surrounded by four slightly fan-shaped wells painted alternately with flowering plants or sprays of chrysanthemums within a dentil border on the lobed edge.

DIMENSIONS
Diameter 22.2 cm. (8.7 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Kitty Valkier-Schreurs Collection, Belgium;
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam;
The Dr. Günther Grethe Collection, Hamburg

LITERATURE
Described and illustrated in Aronson 2004, p. 69, no. 80

NOTE
The concept of compartmentalized serving ware can be traced back to medieval banqueting traditions, where communal dining from large serving dishes was the norm. As culinary practices advanced during the Renaissance, especially in Italy and France, there was a growing emphasis on presenting and separating foods in a more decorative manner. This shift aligned with the rise of ‘Dining à la française,’ where an array of dishes was presented simultaneously on an elaborate dining table. This style of dining called for a practical yet refined method to serve a variety of foods, leading to the use of compartmentalized dishes. These dishes made it possible to present different types of food, such as sauces and side dishes, together while keeping them separate. This style gained popularity in the French courts and gradually spread across Europe, shaping the design and use of tableware.

For servants, compartmentalized dishes also offered practical benefits, streamlining the process of serving multiple foods quickly and efficiently. Instead of making numerous trips or using separate dishes for each item, a single, well-organized compartment dish could present several items at once.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
A dish of the same shape, with a diameter of 36 cm. (14.2 in.) and also marked AK, is depicted by Hans Ressing in “Delftware at Dyrham Park,” Vormen uit Vuur 173, p. 17, no. 17. It is also illustrated in Vrienden van de Nederlandse Ceramiek 48, p. 13, ill. 7; and in Sven T. Kjellberg’s Holländsk fajans i Kulturen, Lund 1935, p. 42.