Delftware 17th century

The tin-glazed earthenware pottery known as majolica was popular in Italy, and introduced into the Netherlands by Italian potters who had emigrated to Antwerp. In the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company had a thriving trade in Chinese Export Pottery, which was as popular in Holland as the rest of Europe. The potters of Delft had adapted the popular blue and white style of the Chinese porcelains for their own earthenware versions. The early blue and white delft pieces featured popular Asian motifs, many of which were copied from the ware produced in China during the reign of Emperor Wanli (1573-1619), and the traditional decorations of the pottery imported from 1620-1644, but before long, Dutch artists had replaced scenes of the Orient with local themes in the form of landscapes, flowers, boats, and windmills.

The two-colour blue and white scheme that has come to be known as Delftware is characterized by a lightweight, relatively thin body of earthenware (which is referred to as porcelain, though it is actually earthenware). The overglaze is white and so thick that it has a tendency to bubble during firing. Delft pieces are characterized by these tiny popped glaze bubbles that are often found on the undersides and backs of the ware.

At the end of the 17th century Delft faience became increasingly popular in the Netherlands, The Delft potteries were commissioned by Willem III and his court to make impressive tulip vases and other imposing pieces. The King of England ordered pieces of Delftware to decorate the palaces in his kingdom. Delftware became popular and was widely exported in Europe and even reached China and Japan. Chinese and Japanese potters made porcelain versions of Delftware for export to Europe.

	Dish with Chinese Figures 1685-90 Multicoloured faience, 26 x 33 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Dish with Chinese Figures 1685-90 Multicoloured faience, 27 x 34 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Dish with a Winter Landscape 1650 Tin-glazed earhtenware, diameter 32 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Dish with a Representation of the Sense of Hearing 1650-65 Tin-glazed earthenware, diameter 53 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Large covered jar c. 1635 Blue-painted faience, height 50 cm Museum of Cultural History, Lund
	Plaque with View of the Tomb of William the Silent 1657 Tin-glazed earthenware, 31 x 24 cm Gemeente Musea, Delft
	Plaque with View of the Tomb of William the Silent 1657 Tin-glazed earthenware, 31 x 24 cm Gemeente Musea, Delft
	Plaque with View inside a Gothic Church 1662 Tin-glazed earthenware, 28 x 28 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Plaque with View inside a Gothic Church 1662 Tin-glazed earthenware, 28 x 28 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Plaque with the Prophet Elijah Fed by the Ravens 1658 Tin-glazed earhtenware, 25 x 30 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Plaque with a Landscape 1660-75 Tin-glazed earthenware, 26 x 24 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Plaque with a Portrait of Robertus Junius 1660 Tin-glazed earhtenware, 17 x 14 cm Museum Van Het Boek, The Hague
	Two large tiles from a column c. 1690 Blue-painted faience, 62 x 62 cm (each) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
	Tile c. 1690 Tin-glazed earthenware, 69 x 69 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
	Tulip vase 1680s Blue-painted faience, height 35 cm Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
	Tulip vase with the arms of Willem III 1690s Blue-painted faience height 102 cm Royal Collection, Hampton Court
	Tulip vase with the arms of Willem III 1690s Blue-painted faience height 98 cm Royal Collection, Hampton Court
	Large covered vase 1680s Blue-painted faience, height 96 cm Hessisches Landesmuseum, Kassel
	Octagonal vase 1680-85 Polychrome faience, height 75 cm Musée de la Chartreuse, Douai
	Octagonal vase 1680-85 Polychrome faience, height 75 cm Musée de la Chartreuse, Douai