After 1740 – Aronson Antiquairs of Amsterdam | Delftware | Made in Holland

D2653. Pair of Miniature Dogs

femke@aronson.com — Tue, 05 May 2026 14:50:15 +0000

This pair of miniature recumbent dogs belongs to a category of small-scale figural Delftware that gained popularity in the eighteenth century as decorative objects for domestic interiors. Miniatures such as these were intended for intimate settings, displayed on mantelpieces, cabinets, or within vitrines, where their modest scale invited close viewing and personal engagement rather than monumental display.

Miniature animal figures occupied a distinct place within Delftware production. Delft potters increasingly explored reduced formats in the eighteenth century, responding to changing tastes that favored refinement, novelty, and the charm of small objects. These miniatures often depict familiar animals, dogs, cows, sheep, or birds, rendered in relaxed poses that emphasize calmness and domesticity. Their appeal lay not in strict naturalism but in their decorative presence and tactile immediacy.

The present dogs are modeled in a recumbent pose, resting on low, green-painted bases that suggest grassy ground. Their bodies are lightly mottled in manganese-purple tones, a decorative effect frequently employed in Delftware to suggest fur rather than to imitate a specific breed. Details such as the collars, facial features, and subtly indicated musculature are sparingly applied, allowing the overall silhouette to remain clear and legible at a small scale. The paired format, with the figures oriented toward one another, suggests their intended use as pendants, reinforcing symmetry in interior arrangements.

D1639. Pair of Polychrome Milking Groups

Celine — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:35:41 +0000

Note
Gerrit de Graaf was a painter at d’ Oude Prins (The Old Prince) factory, a tile manufactory located on the Anjeliersstraat in Amsterdam. He began working as an apprentice around 1745, and from 1770 onward he possibly managed the painting department. Characteristic of his style were the blue and manganese color scheme and his slightly nervous (kriebelig) execution, identifiable through the several pieces that are known bearing his monogram or his complete signature. Although most of his work was on tiles, he also painted molded objects, such as a tray dated 1779, in the Musée national de Céramique, Sèvres (inv. no. MNC 1931), and a butter tub in the form of a female figure, dated 1770, and illustrated in Van Dam 1999, p. 45, no. 23, which, with both the artist’s monogram and complete signature is a key piece for attributions to Gerrit de Graaf. There are five pairs and a single figure of recumbent cows known and attributed to d’ Oude Prins factory based on the pair in De Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst en Geschiedenis in Brussels (inv. no. L. 334 a,b), which is signed by Adam Sybel, who, like De Graaf, also was a tile painter at d’ Oude Prins factory. There are no known Amsterdam milking groups. However, in the eighteenth century the tile factories in Amsterdam did produce molded objects on a small scale, so it is possible that this pair of milking groups was indeed the product of d’Oude Prins. Although these groups do show signs of handwork, they clearly were made in a mold based on Delft models. The important differences between the Amsterdam and Delft cows, are in the color palette, and in the body shapes: the Amsterdam cows being more naturalistically modeled than the more stylized Delft cows.

In spite of a strong argument for this pair of milking groups having been produced in Amsterdam, their origin is still uncertain, although it was not likely to be in one of the Delft facrtories. They may have been created in the Blankenburg tile factory in Amsterdam, which was discontinued in 1764, and from whom Pieter van der Kloet, the owner of d’ Oude Prins, may have bought the molds. Alternatively the groups may have been made in the Blankenburg factory and painted there by De Graaf, where he may have learned his skill as a painter before being employed at d’ Oude Prins.

D2610 Pear-Shaped Vase

femke@aronson.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:50:31 +0000

By the second half of the seventeenth century, Delftware had reached the height of its success, and the number of factories expanded rapidly. While the trade had long been dominated by established craft families, its profitability soon attracted wealthy investors. One was Willem Cleffius, originally from Cologne, who settled in Amsterdam as a merchant. In 1632 he married Marguerite Lambrechtsdr. Cruyck, daughter of the owner of De Dissel (The Pole) factory and sister of Wouter van Eenhoorn, founder of De Grieksche A. Well connected within the industry, Willem entered the Delftware trade in 1662 as co-owner of De Paauw, and in 1670 purchased De Metaale Pot from the Dutch East India Company. Willem’s son Lambertus Cleffius joined the factory immediately. Registered with the Guild of Saint Luke since 1667, he likely managed daily operations while his father oversaw the business. After his marriage in 1672 he became a shareholder, and in 1679, upon Willem’s death, he assumed full ownership. Like his father, he invested in additional potteries such as De Witte Ster, helping build a network of family-run enterprises that strongly influenced the Delftware trade. His clientele was international, and in the 1680s he received the prestigious commission for a large dinner service for Wenzel Ferdinand, Prince Lobkowicz of Bilina, the earliest and largest known Delftware service. Highly regarded for both craftsmanship and business acumen, Cleffius represented Delft potters in 1684 negotiations with England to lift a long-standing trade embargo. He also played a major role in the introduction of registered maker’s marks: after publicly claiming in 1678 to have invented red stoneware teapots and discovered the secret of porcelain, a dispute with rival potters prompted the States of Holland to mandate registered marks to prevent counterfeiting. His interlaced L.C. mark remains crucial for scholars. Cleffius preferred a restrained decorative style, marked by balanced compositions and a fine trek line for detailing, as seen on an octagonal triple-gourd vase and other notable pieces. At his death in 1691, his estate included paintings, Chinese porcelain, and Delftware, reflecting his wealth and taste. Shortly thereafter, De Metaale Pot passed to his cousin Lambertus van Eenhoorn, keeping the factory within a leading Delftware dynasty.

D2136 Pair of Polychrome Petit Feu and Gilded Butter Tubs, Covers and Stands

femke@aronson.com — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:46:40 +0000

Delft, circa 1760

Each butter tub of octagonal form and painted in the Kakiemon palette on the front and reverse with birds perched on branches, repeated on the cover within a border of scrolls and the finial shaped as a reclining fi gure, the stands with the same decoration of birds perched on branches within a scrollwork border encircled with floral sprigs.

Dimensions
Width of stands: 18.7 cm. (7.4 in.)

Provenance
Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam;
American Private Collection

Note
In the seventeenth century it became increasingly difficult for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to import porcelain due to civil unrests in China and the Company decided to relocate this trade to Japan. Initially, the Dutch ordered copies of Chinese porcelain, but soon Japanese products arrived on the market and various ceramic decors were exchanged with the Delft factories.

From 1660 the VOC increasingly imported multi-colored porcelain, including Kakiemon. This Japanese porcelain was very exclusive and therefore became a beloved subject for the Delft potters. Objects were produced in a Kakiemon palette often with a typical oriental decoration, as can be seen on this pair of butter tubs. This decoration consists of tied grain sheaves, behind which grow bamboo, pine trees and prunus blossom. A bird is perched on the branches, and sometimes quails or even tigers were painted on the ground. The Delft potters recreated this Kakiemon decoration, but adapted it to their own Western taste. Japanese Kakiemon porcelain is rarely accurately imitated in Delft. Usually the Delft Kakiemon decorations were expanded and painted as full patterns on European forms instead of painting the object only to a limited extent as is common with Japanese Kakiemon. Since the price of a Delftware object was largely determined by the time spent on the paintwork, it makes sense that the Delft painters almost completely decorated their objects. The finer, but especially the fuller a piece was decorated, the more expensive it was.

D2555 Pair of Blue and White Rectangular Herring Dishes

femke@aronson.com — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 09:58:44 +0000

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.

D2086 Blue and White Plaque

Celine — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 10:42:51 +0000

Delft, circa 1750 Painted with an ice skater lying on his back with his hat behind him on the ice, before four young men skating, and on the right a men playing a bagpipe in front of a so-called ‘koek en zopie’ tent besides table with a wine glass, pipes and jars.; the self-molded frame with a diaper work border interrupted at the top, bottom and sides with a panel with a floral device, the top surmounted by a fan-shaped fluted pediment pierced with a circular suspension hole, the reverse glazed. Dimensions Height: 21.7 (8.5 in.) Length: 24.3 cm. (9.6 in.)

D2344 Blue and White Compartmented Sweetmeat Dish

femke@aronson.com — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:24:04 +0000

Delft, circa 1745 Marked with an asterisk / DB / 2 in blue for Jacoba, Johanna and Maria van den Bergh, the owner of De Witte Starre (The White Star) factory from 1743 to 1761 The central circular well painted with a bird perched on a fence of bamboo flanked by budding sprigs and beneath a flitting insect, and surrounded by four compartments painted with a bird perched on a flowering plant or a flowering plant, the raised compartment edges and the lobed rim with a flowering scroll border. DIMENSIONS Diameter: 14.4 cm. (5.7 in.) NOTE Sweetmeat dishes were often used during tea time when sweetmeats were served. Delights such as sugared orange peels, sugar-coated nuts and seeds, sometimes even colored, pear and quince marmalade and preserved ginger, chestnuts and fennel were presented in these small delicate dishes. In the seventeenth century, the creation of such delicacies was facilitated thanks to the importation of large quantities of sugar from Brazil and Caribbean. Honey was increasingly replaced by a more refined sweetener, which enhanced the creation of numerous desserts.

D2087. Pair of Blue and White Candlesticks

Celine — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:52:26 +0000

Note

Before electrification, candles were the main source of light after dark. However, they were considered a luxury, even in the well-to-do home. Thus, the expression ‘the game’s not worth the candle’ highlights the fact that lighting a candle was like burning money itself. Tallow candles, made of animal fat, were the most commonly used candles. They emitted a foul odor and a black vapor, and burned very quickly. An expensive alternative was the beeswax candle, which had a more pleasant perfume and burned for a longer period of time.

Like the candles, their holders were also very expensive objects. Candlesticks gave a particular splendor to the parties and ceremonies of wealthy households. For example, candlesticks were placed in front of mirrors in order to increase the intensity of the light in French King Louis XIV’s Hall of Mirrors. Candlesticks of various shapes have been produced in Dutch Delftware since the 1680s. Some of the earliest examples are documented in the inventories of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) and De Grieksche A (The Greek A) factories. These early candlesticks were sometimes executed in white Delftware, and of square or octagonal shape, as with the present pair.

D1757. Polychrome Shield-Shaped Plaque

Celine — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 12:03:16 +0000

Note
The blue and white rectangular images of sea and landscapes painted on the yellow ground resemble postcards or tiles scattered atop a plaque. While the painter certainly demonstrated artistic license in the detailed compositions, they are most likely based on prints, either collected by the potteries for use in its ceramics, or supplied by a client for a special commission. Various types of prints were available to Delft artists during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, such as woodcuts, etchings, and engravings. It was not uncommon for artists and painters to freely borrow imagery from these print sources. The reuse of printed images both reflected and determined contemporary styles and tastes, as well as being instructive for the artisans.

The plaque demonstrates the trompe l’ceil (deceive the eye) technique, a style often used in old master paintings to captivate and fool the viewer. For Delft potters, they probably took inspiration from seventeenth and eighteenth century still life paintings with highly realistic details such as notes, drawings, and letters. As can be seen on this plaque, the overlapping scenes with depth and realism create an optical illusion. The composition and subject are reminiscent of the popular Delft dishes and bowls painted with playing cards. One such plate is illustrated in Lahaussois 1994, p. 80, no. 99, who comments on p. 96 that it was the Delft potters who can be credited with the idea of trompe l’oeil decoration of playing cards on ceramics, a style that became popular in the Netherlands from about 1730. It continued in popularity particularly on French faience throughout the second half of the eighteenth century, and on faïence fine (refined cream-colorer earthenware) and English porcelain in the early nineteenth century.

D667. Pair of Polychrome Figures of Seated Ladies

Celine — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 13:12:43 +0000

Note

This pair of petit feu figures of seated ladies is typical for the third quarter of the 18th century, when Delft potters found inspiration in European subjects. During the Seven Years War (1756 – 1763), there was a decline in imported German ceramics. Thus, there was a great demand for colorful decorative objects for the dinner table and figurative groups. Delftware factories filled this gap in the market by producing polychrome figures with great success. The interest in small Delft figures faded during the last quarter of the 18th century; the well-to-do clientele preferred German porcelain to the labor-intensive, and therefore more expensive Delftware in petit feu colors.