D2412. Pair of Blue and White Large Octagonal Bottle Vases

Delft, circa 1690

Marked PK for Pieter Kam, owner of De Drie Posteleyne Astonne (The Three Porcelain Ash-Barrels) factory from 1679 until 1700

A pair of blue and white large baluster form vases, laps with floral scrolls on the rim of the gourd, flowers and birds, triangular shapes on the neck, flowers and triangles on the upper rim, laps on the foot with scrolls.

DIMENSIONS
Height: 48.1 cm. (18.9 in.)

PROVENANCE
French Private Collection, Paris, 2023

NOTE
Founded in 1655 by Jeronimus Pietersz. van Kessel, De Drie Posteleyne Astonne factory was one of the earliest factories to be established on the Geer in Delft. The factory was variously known as De 3 Astonne, De 3 Vergulde Astonnekes or De 3 Posteleyne Astonne (The Three [Gilded or Porcelain] Ash-Barrels). Van Kessel died five years after the founding, and his widow ran the factory from 1660 until 1667, when she sold it. By 1673 Gerrit Pietersz. Kam (b. 1652), who was admitted to the Guild of Saint Luke in 1667, became the factory’s co- owner with Wouter van Eenhoorn. After the death of Van Eenhoorn in 1678, Kam assumed full control of De Drie Posteleyne Astonne, which he operated alone from 1679 until 1700, when he transferred the factory to his eldest son Pieter Gerritsz. Kam. The following year, in 1701, Gerrit Pietersz. Kam and his youngest son David became co-owners of De Paauw (The Peacock) factory. Both Gerrit and Pieter Kam died in 1705. Pieter’s widow Maria van der Kloot- Kam took over De Drie Posteleyne Astonne factory and ran it herself through at least 1716, still using her husband’s mark PK.