I’ve come to love the blue and white colors of Delftware, a pottery that has been made for centuries in Delft, Holland.
But I had never seen these earthtone colors before, the ones captured so delicately on the small vase and cow figurines that the auctioneer was holding up at auction one Sunday. I hadn’t noticed the two pieces on a glass shelf at one of my favorite auction houses during my walk-through. Until the auctioneer said the words “Delft.” Then I perked up.
I wasn’t sure if they were chipped or nicked or damaged in any way. Usually, I like to handle items at auction to make sure they are in good condition. I had to play this one by ear. I went after the pieces, but was outbidded tic-for-tat by another regular. We finally stopped at $20 and I got the pair, along with a flower brick and a small glazed dish that were reproductions done by a factory in Holland for Colonial Williamsburg.
The cow and vase were handpainted in a lovely blend of blue, russet or reddish brown, yellow and green, and had a thin layer of glaze over them. The cow stood on a pedestal, its head slightly lowered in a non-threatening stance. The colors on the vase appeared more bold and brilliant. Both were just fantastic.
I turned them over to see the makers’ marks on the bottom, recognizing the Delft logo but not some of the letters and numbers. Later, I found out that the symbols on both indicated that they were made in 1967. Unfortunately, the 4-inch-tall cow had a small chip on the underside, along with some crazing. The 6-inch-tall vase was in very good condition.
Both were polychrome figurines made by the Royal Delft (De Porceleyne Fles) factory, one of the most respected companies in Delft in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1653, and back then was one of 32 factories in the town that made the blue and white pottery famous. Today, it is the only one that still functions using those classic techniques of pottery-making. The factory holds tours that allow you to see the pottery being made or make your own.
Polychrome pottery – which is based on Italian majolica – was produced in Amsterdam and other cities during the second half of the 16th century, according the Royal Delft website. Then Dutch potters were introduced to Chinese porcelain, with its colors of blue and white, in the 17thcentury and the town of Delft embraced it. Potters imitated it with local clay, factories were opened to produce it, and the industry took off. It started to decline in the early 1800s but was revived later that century by a Delft engineer named Joost Thooft, who bought the Royal Delft factory. He affixed his initials and the name Delft on the bottom of the pottery.
Royal Delft, which introduced polychrome pottery in 1905, also makes black, pijnacker (using the colors red, blue and gold, based on Japanese Imari porcelain), and other types. Its products include plates, vases, covered pots, candlesticks, clocks, tableware, tiles and watering cans.
You can view more photos of polychrome and other Delft pottery.
