•D2504. Blue and White Octagonal Plate

Delft, circa 1645
Painted in the center with a bouquet of two large flowers—possibly sunflowers—with foliage in a vase, bending leftward toward an insect, the octagonal rim with four similar flowers, interconnected by foliage branches.

DIMENSIONS
Width: 19 cm. (7.5 in.)

NOTE
This plate represents one of the earliest Delftware productions by Dutch potters. Its design was widely disseminated, reflecting early decorative conventions in Delftware. The simplicity of the decoration suggests that it was likely intended as utility ware. Such everyday objects, being frequently used, were prone to breakage, making surviving examples exceptionally rare today.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
A comparable plate featuring a vase with two flowers is housed in the Rijksmuseum collection (inv. no. BK-1975-63). Additionally, a cup with a similar motif was unearthed in Delft at the cesspit of De Porceleyne Fles (The Porcelain Bottle) factory and is illustrated in Van Aken-Fehmers 2003, p. 39. Another fragment of an octagonal plate with a flower vase motif was also excavated in Delft and is documented in Eliëns 2013, p. 97.

A related motif appears on a blue and white lobed dish, which features a border of alternating flowers and feathered leaves. This dish is preserved in Het Princessehof Museum in Leeuwarden (inv. no. NO 05903), alongside three blue and white majolica dishes decorated in a similar manner (inv. nos. OKS 1990-019, OKS 2005-164, OKS 2005-165). These majolica dishes are attributed to Harlingen, as similar pieces have been excavated there. However, they exhibit a distinctly different style from the present Delftware plate, underscoring regional variations in early Dutch ceramic production.