Date – Aronson Antiquairs of Amsterdam | Delftware | Made in Holland

D2622. Armorial Ewer

femke@aronson.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:20:30 +0000

This Delftware ewer is adorned with the coat of arms of Dammas Barthoutz van Slingeland (1688–1771), a member of one of Dordrecht’s most prominent patrician families. The Van Slingelandts were deeply embedded in the administrative structure of the Dutch Republic, with successive generations serving as magistrates, burgomasters, and provincial officials. Their name was further associated with notable landholdings, including the Heerlijkheid Slingelandt and the estate Haaswijk near Dordrecht.

Dammas was the son of Barthout Damasz van Slingeland and Emerentia Repelaer, linking two influential Dordrecht lineages. Following family tradition, he entered civic service and held the office of schepen (alderman) by 1718, later advancing to burgomaster. Tax records attest to his ownership of both a country residence and substantial urban property, underscoring his social standing and financial means.

This ewer, produced between 1688 and 1715 at the Delft factory De Dubbelde Schenkkan, was likely commissioned to mark a significant personal or public milestone in Dammas’ early adulthood. Armorial Delftware of this type, uniting heraldic imagery with sophisticated ceramic workmanship, was often created to commemorate appointments to civic office, marriages within regent families, or the succession to estates. Such pieces functioned both as ceremonial objects and as expressions of family identity and prestige.

Today, armorial Delftware such as this ewer provides valuable insight into the interplay of political ambition, patrician self-representation, and artistic patronage in the Dutch Republic during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

D2544. Blue and White Teapot and Cover

femke@aronson.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:18:28 +0000

Initially, tea was consumed for medicinal purposes in Europe, since it “suivert het grove bloedt, verdrijft de sware droomen, (…) ’t verjaegt de dommigheijt en ’t sterckt Venus’ handel (gedienstig voor nieuw getrouwde)” (“purifies coarse blood, drives out heavy dreams, (…) chases away stupidity and strengthens Venus’ affairs (useful for newly weds)”. Although it took some time, the craze for tea drinking swept through Europe in the last quarter of the seventeenth century.

Once the practice became fashionable, it changed the rhythm of people’s daily lives. Tea could be drunk once or twice a day, but afternoon gatherings became the new habit. Furthermore, it inspired people to acquire the necessary accoutrements for serving the drink. In the seventeenth century, these necessities could be of a variety of materials, and even a combination of Chinese and European tea wares. However, by the end of the eighteenth century, it was customary to have complete matching sets. Tea was presented to guests in beautiful tea canisters, and then strongly brewed in small pots. These concentrated brews were then diluted with hot water from a bouilloire, a silver, copper (although this material was thought not so suitable for boiling water) or pewter kettle on a stand over a brazier. When the guest wanted to try a different kind of tea, he or she could rinse the cup in the slop bowl. The new drink should be sipped as hot as possible, but if too hot, it could be poured on the saucer to cool a little and sipped from there. With
tea being very expensive, the cups were small, so it was not uncommon if one would have up to twenty or even fifty cups during a tea party.

Dutch Delftware teapots are rare, since vessels made from regular earthenware were comparably coarser than porcelain, and considered less elegant and pleasant to drink from. More important is the fact that earthenware is not the best material to hold boiling water. Heat is conducted more readily by earthenware, being a porous material, than by
porcelain, and it was prone to crack when it had to endure large temperature differences. If the glaze crackled, the material underneath became unsealed, and the water caused it to crumble.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
A smaller, but comparable modeled and decorated teapot is in the Kunstmuseum, The Hague (inv. no. 1059828).

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.

D2429 Polychrome Cartouche-Shaped Plaque

femke@aronson.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:13:03 +0000

Polychrome Cartouche-Shaped Plaque

Delft, circa 1740

Painted with a chinoiserie scene featuring a lady known as ‘Long Eliza,’ cradling her children and accompanied by two attendants, surrounded by prunus and chrysanthemum bushes emerging from behind banded hedges; behind the lady a fenced garden scene is complemented with insects and two birds perched on a branch, encompassed within a border of floral scrollwork.

DIMENSIONS
Height: 38 cm. (14,5 in.)
Width: 34 cm. (13 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Collection of M.P. Voute Jr.;
Frederik Muller, Sint-Niklaas, April 1956;
A. Vecht, Amsterdam;
Kunsthandel J. Polak, Amsterdam, 1992;
The Collection of Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet, Amsterdam, 2023

EXHIBITED
Kunsthandel J. Polak, TEFAF Maastricht, 1992

NOTE
“Porcelain paintings,” as they were referred to in household inventories, were intended to be admired as if they were paintings on panel, canvas or copper. The representations on the plaques are varied, and often reflect contemporary concerns and tastes. These chinoiserie motifs and the baroque design of the plaque are in complete accordance with the taste of the day. By the mid and late eighteenth century, Delft chinoiserie plaques were the absolute fashion, and they became as exuberant in their coloration as in their exotic themes. In fact, whereas the early flat, rectangular plaques were made of slabs of clay, by the eighteenth century, plaques with shaped borders in relief, representing the baroque and rococo stylistic idiom, began to be made in plaster molds. The shapes became more stylish, varied and creative. This particular scene has served as a source of inspiration for Royal Delft, who have used the imagery on objects since the late nineteenth century.

D0897 Large Imari Dish

femke@aronson.com — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:16:24 +0000

Large Imari Dish

Delft, circa 1710

Marked APK 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 with a Zotje (Dancing or Foolish boy) walking toward Lange Lijs (Lange Lijs) holding a tray and standing amidst birds and flitting insects, a table set with vases of flowers, a garden fence, a pagoda beyond tasseled drapery, and flowering peony branches.

DIMENSIONS
Diameter: 34.5 cm. (13.6 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Dr. Günther Grethe Collection, Hamburg

NOTE
The scene on this dish might be inspired by the story of Xi Wang Mu. Xi Wang Mu, often translated as the Queen Mother of the West, is a prominent goddess in Chinese mythology and Daoist tradition. She is associated with immortality, divine authority, and the natural world. Traditionally depicted as a regal and elegant woman, Xi Wang Mu resides in a paradisiacal garden on the western mountains, surrounded by magical creatures, attendants, and sacred plants. She is often shown with peaches of immortality, flowers, or ritual objects in her hands, symbolizing longevity and spiritual power. Her mythology blends cosmic and earthly realms, and she frequently appears in art and literature as a figure of grace, authority, and mystical beauty.

SIMILAR EXAMPLES
This popular design is most commonly found in smaller diameters, making this size quite rare. Another, but larger (40 cm./15.75 in.) example with the same decoration is part of the collection of the Kunstmuseum The Hague (inv. no. 0400276). A different variant is a ribbed bowl marked APK, featuring the same decoration in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, with a smaller diameter of 26 cm.(10.2 in.) (inv. no. BK-NM-12400-301).

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.

D2540. Pair of Blue and White Budai Heshang Flower Holders

femke@aronson.com — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:28:55 +0000

Delft, circa 1700

Each marked LVE 0 2 in blue for Lambertus van Eenhoorn, the owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1691 until 1721, or his widow Margaretha Teckmann from 1721 to 1724

Each modeled as a seated Budai Heshang, wearing a robe loosely draped to reveal his corpulent belly and patterned with florets, sprigs and leafy stems, from his head emerges the spout painted with floral sprigs and an openwork rim.

DIMENSIONS
Heights: 10.1 cm. (4 in.)

PROVENANCE
The Peter Van Slyke Collection, U.S.A.;
Sotheby’s, Amsterdam, 3 December 2002, lot 1

NOTE
A The Budai Heshang, often referred to as the “Laughing Buddha,” is a prominent figure in Chinese culture and religion, particularly within Chinese Buddhism. Historically, Budai was a semi-legendary monk who lived during the late Tang (618–907) or early Song (960–1279) dynasty. His name, meaning “cloth sack,” derives from the bag he carried, which symbolized his generosity as he distributed food and gifts to the poor. Budai is considered a manifestation of Maitreya, the future Buddha, and his image
represents themes of contentment, abundance, and happiness.

Budai is traditionally depicted as a cheerful, corpulent figure with a large exposed belly, symbolizing wealth, prosperity, and good fortune. His jovial demeanor and informal posture contrast with the solemn representations of traditional Buddhas, emphasizing accessibility and joy. Over time, his image transcended its religious context, becoming a
universal symbol of happiness and prosperity in both East Asian and global cultures.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with the rise of European trade with China through the Dutch East India Company (VOC), Budai figurines became highly sought-after in Europe as part of the fascination with exotic goods and Chinese culture. Delft potters, inspired by Chinese porcelain, adopted the Budai Heshang figure into their
repertoire, producing seated Budai figures with their characteristic smiling expressions and ample bellies. In Delftware, these figures were often adapted stylistically to suit European tastes, combining traditional Chinese iconography with the decorative artistry of Dutch ceramics.

The Budai Heshang in Delftware highlights the blending of cultural motifs and the adaptation of Asian artistic themes into European decorative arts, underscoring the global interconnectedness of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These Delft interpretations of Budai often emphasize his cheerful demeanor and iconic belly while incorporating Delft’s signature blue-and-white or polychrome decoration, showcasing the unique fusion of Asian inspiration and Dutch craftsmanship.