Hand Painted Dutch Themed Delft Blue Ceramics

Dutch Delft Blue is a type of pottery iconic in the Netherlands. You may have seen small pieces of Dutch pottery displaying the typical white and blue colors while traveling to Holland as Dutch souvenirs or Dutch gift ideas. Yet Delft Blue ranges widely from small inexpensive souvenirs and gifts to expensive and exclusive collectibles and masterpieces. One-of delft pieces are displayed in museums and on the other end of the spectrum grandchildren looking for an Oma gift idea will buy a giftware piece for their Dutch Oma or Opa.

Delft Blue, Great Dutch Gifts

     Original and authentic Delft blue is identified as “Delft Blau” whereas figurines or ceramics identified as Delft Blue is a souvenir or giftware item not to be considered as an exclusive collectible from Holland. Aside from the fact that it is identified with English and not Dutch words, more inexpensive pricing also reflects that the delft blue giftware item is not an exclusive piece of Delft Blau that has originated directly from the town of Delft in the Netherlands.

     Traditionally, delft wasn’t made from the usually typical porcelain clay, but from clay that was coated with a tin glaze after it was fired. Since the 17^th century, Delft Blue has been the world-famous pottery produced in the city of Delft. It used to be popular among rich families who would show off their Delft Blue collections to one another. Although the Delftware potters preferred to call their pottery “porcelain”, it was only a cheaper version of genuine, real Chinese porcelain.

     The advantage of this glazing technique was that it allowed for a brilliant and uniform white surface, like a blank canvas, on which motifs, pictures, and decorative elements could be beautifully painted. Previously, the English, the Spanish, and the Italians pioneered the tin glazing technique, and it was an Italian master called Guido da Savino who brought the technique to the northern city of Antwerp. It was not until the second half of the century, when Belgian potters and artisans migrated to the Netherlands to escape a Spanish invasion during the war, that the technique took off and became popular.

History Of Dutch Delftware

     The earliest Dutch Delftware was indeed only decorated in blue color and was inspired by the Chinese Kraak ware or Kraak porcelain, or Dutch Kraak porcelain. Kraak ware is a type of Chinese export porcelain, mainly produced in the late Ming Dynasty, circa 1573–1620. It was among the first Chinese export wares to arrive in Europe in huge quantities and was frequently presented in Dutch Golden Age paintings of still life subjects with foreign luxurious items.

     Over time, although Delft potters began to reflect the design, they held on to their own Dutch interpretation of the familiar Chinese design. This meant that the colors were directly inspired by the Japanese wares, but the forms and decorations were also inspired by European, mostly Dutch, objects and influences.

     As the Delft Blue craze grew in popularity, the pottery style took on a form of its own and potters started painting typical Dutch scenes and objects, such as windmills, onto the earthenware designs which included ceramic wooden shoes with delft blue scenes.