Delft, circa 1765

Marked and numbered AIH 110 12 in manganese for Jacobus Halder,  the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory, from 1764 until 1768

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 28.5 and 29 cm. (11.2 and 11.4 in.)

PROVENANCE
Belgian Private Collection

NOTE
This important pair of figural candlesticks represents the high point of mid-eighteenth-century figural production in Delft and reflects the full assimilation of the rococo idiom into Dutch ceramic art. Modeled as winged putti supporting candle sockets, the candlesticks combine sculptural ambition with decorative function and were intended as prominent ornaments within refined domestic interiors.

During the third quarter of the eighteenth century, Delft potters increasingly adopted European sculptural models, moving away from earlier Asian themes toward subjects inspired by French and German art. The present candlesticks clearly reflect the influence of German porcelain, particularly Meissen, whose figural candleholders were widely admired and collected across Europe. Imported porcelain not only shaped taste but also provided concrete models for Delft factories, where vormers adapted such designs to the possibilities of tin-glazed earthenware.

The putti are animated with characteristic rococo vitality. Their asymmetrical poses, expressive gestures, and lively interaction with attributes such as birds and fish convey a sense of movement and playfulness. These motifs draw upon a long European tradition in which putti symbolized abundance, nature, and festivity, subjects well suited to objects intended for display in convivial settings. While indebted to porcelain prototypes, the sculptural treatment retains a distinctly Dutch sensibility, with robust modeling and an engaging directness characteristic of Delftware.

Figural candlesticks of this quality were luxury objects, displayed prominently on mantelpieces, console tables, or within display cabinets as part of the decorative ensemble of rococo interiors. Although the popularity of Delft figural wares declined toward the end of the eighteenth century in favor of porcelain, pairs such as this remain compelling testimonies to the artistic ambition and technical sophistication of Delft potters at a moment when they successfully engaged with international taste while maintaining a distinctive local identity.

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, circa 1695

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

DIMENSIONS
Height 28 cm. (11 in.)

NOTE
This flower vase represents an early and ambitious phase in the development of multi-spouted flower holders in Delft, produced around 1690 at the factory De Grieksche A under the direction of Adrianus Kocx. Vases of this type belong to the formative generation of Delft flower holders, when potters were experimenting with complex architectural forms designed to accommodate the fashionable display of cut flowers within domestic interiors.

The vase is constructed from stacked, bulbous elements rising from a faceted foot, with each tier pierced by short, projecting spouts arranged radially around the body and culminating in a central neck. This tiered construction reflects a modular approach to ceramic design, in which separately thrown and molded components were assembled into a unified sculptural form. Such structures allowed for the placement of individual flower stems at varying heights, creating a carefully orchestrated floral arrangement that emphasized symmetry and verticality.

The imagery draws upon Chinese decorative sources, mediated through late seventeenth-century European interpretations of porcelain decoration. The integration of birds and flowering plants within a continuous pictorial field enhances the organic relationship between the painted surface and the vase’s intended function as a flower holder.

Flower vases of this complexity emerged in Delft around the final decades of the seventeenth century, closely associated with the production of De Grieksche A, one of the most innovative and technically accomplished factories of the period. Under Adrianus Kocx, the factory played a central role in refining both the form and decoration of flower holders, responding to the growing demand for elaborate display objects that reflected contemporary tastes for symmetry, ornament, and botanical abundance.

Delft, circa 1690

Both marked AK in blue for Adrianus Kocx, owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1686 to 1701, and each further accompanied by a distinct figurative mark corresponding to its cover.

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 29 cm. (11.4 in.) and 28.8 cm. (11.3 in.)

PROVENANCE
French Private Collection, Paris

NOTE
The form of the pilgrim bottle has a long and cross-cultural history. In the West, it can be traced to Roman flasks carried by travelers, while in the East it appears in seventh-century Chinese examples, often in ceramics or metalwork. Over the centuries, the form was adapted in a remarkable variety of materials, earthenware, porcelain, silver, glass, and even leather, its flattened, rounded body and narrow neck making it practical for transport. By the seventeenth century, however, many pilgrim bottles, such as this finely painted Delft pair, were conceived not as functional vessels for travel, but as highly ornamental pieces for display.

The Delft potters of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries were well aware of the prestige attached to silver pilgrim bottles. In that period, such vessels were considered among the most impressive elements of a royal silver buffet, their elegant symmetry and broad surfaces lending themselves to elaborate decoration. Some were presented as diplomatic or noble gifts, embodying wealth, status, and skilled craftsmanship. Delft potters adapted these luxury metal prototypes into tin-glazed earthenware, translating the silversmith’s sculptural form into a ceramic medium while enriching it with colorful painted ornament derived from Chinese porcelain or European baroque motifs.

In the Dutch Republic, decorative pilgrim bottles often occupied pride of place in the home, either as part of a garniture on a mantel or cabinet, or arranged symmetrically in pairs. While functional versions were still produced in silver and leather for actual travel, Delftware examples like this pair served a purely aesthetic purpose, reflecting both the global inspirations and the technical mastery of the Delft factories.

Delft, circa 1680
Marked SVE II in blue for Samuel van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factory from 1678 until 1685

DIMENSIONS
Height (including stopper): 31 cm. (12.2 in.)

PROVENANCE
De Ramaix Collection

NOTE
The shape of this bottle belongs to a well-established formal tradition that originated in Chinese porcelain of the late Ming dynasty and was subsequently adopted and reinterpreted in Europe. Characterized by a globular body combined with a tall, slender neck and a slightly flaring foot, this form was originally conceived for the containment and pouring of liquids such as wine, oils, or aromatic substances. The elongated neck allowed for controlled dispensing, while the rounded body provided a visually balanced and stable profile.

During the so-called Transitional period in China (circa 1620–1650), porcelain bottles of this type became increasingly common. This period, marked by political upheaval following the death of the Wanli Emperor and culminating in the collapse of the Ming dynasty and the establishment of the Qing dynasty, coincided with significant stylistic developments in ceramic production. Transitional porcelain favored continuous decorative schemes that extended uninterrupted around the vessel, in contrast to the compartmentalized designs characteristic of earlier Kraak wares. The globular bottle form was particularly suited to such decoration, offering an expansive surface for flowing landscapes, flora, fauna, and figural scenes.

From the 1630s onward, large quantities of Chinese porcelain, including bottles of this type, were imported into the Dutch Republic. Delft potters adopted the bottle shape while subtly adapting its proportions to European tastes and manufacturing constraints. Delft examples typically exhibit a slightly heavier foot and a more pronounced transition between the body and neck, reflecting both functional considerations and aesthetic preferences within the Dutch context.

In Europe, such vessels were often enhanced with silver or pewter mounts, which both protected the rim and reinforced the vertical emphasis of the form. These mounts also signal the object’s transformation from a utilitarian container into a luxury item intended for display within domestic interiors.

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 1760

Each marbleized within the blue border and the back of the heel with an 8 device.

Dimensions
Lengths: 6.7 cm. (2.6 in.)

Provenance
Belgian Private Collection

Delft, circa 1760

Each painted on the front and sides with floral scrollwork, the blue-edged sole continuing around the arch and heel and washed in blue.

Dimensions

Lengths: 8.5 cm. (3.5 in.)

Provenance

Belgian Private Collection

Delft, circa 1760

Each painted on the side of the toe with a scrolling foliage enclosed within a continuous line down the front and around the edge and blue-washed heels.

Dimensions

Length: 7.2 cm. (3 in.)

Provenance

Belgian Private Collection

Delft, circa 1740

Marked with three bells in blue for De Drie Klokken (The Three Bells) factory

The straight, cylindrical white body shows an oval cartouche in blue inscribed with ‘Ung:Opiatum’, framed by blue ribbon scrolls and topped with a floral motif, likely laurel leaves.

DIMENSIONS
Height: 18.5 cm. (7.3 in.)

NOTE
This apothecary jar, inscribed with “Ung. Opiatum,” is an unusually shaped example of Delftware used for storing opium-based ointments. Such preparations, known as Unguentum Opiatum, were highly regarded in early medical practices for their powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Typically applied to alleviate localized pain, reduce swelling, and treat skin conditions such as wounds or ulcers, these ointments reflect the pivotal role of opium in the evolving field of early pharmaceutical treatments.

Delft apothecary jars were both practical and decorative, often distinguished by intricate designs and precise labeling of their contents. While most pharmacy jars from this period were cylindrical, with a slightly flared rim and gently narrowing base, this jar’s straight-sided form is notably rare. Comparable examples are known to have been produced at the De Drie Klokken and De Klaauw (The Claw) factories, underscoring its distinctive craftsmanship.