How Delftware Got its Start
During the second half of the 16th century, Dutch and other European potters made tableware using the technique and style of Italian Majolica. The brownish earthenware body was covered with a white enamel, a polychrome decoration was painted on the enamel and the two burned together in a second firing. Dutch potters had learned this craft in Italy and continued in this vein until several cargoes with Chinese porcelain were captured from Portuguese seamen who had brought the porcelain back from the Orient.
Marco Polo Visited China in the 13th Century
It wasn't the first time that Europeans had seen porcelain because Marco Polo had visited China in the 13th century and brought several samples home, but they stayed mainly in Italy. It was in Florence, under the patronage of the Medici family, that a kind of imitation porcelain was made by mixing sand, clay and glass. Produced during the years 1575 to 1585 it was not real porcelain. It was, however, the first of the "soft" porcelain types, also made in France and England in the 18th century.
The Dutch East India Company Founded
Shortly afterwards, in 1602, the Dutch East India Company was founded and the Dutch went forth to bring back the popular blue and white ware from China themselves. It was of the late Ming type and, especially the so-called Wan-Li ware. Dutch potters tried to imitate the imported ware, but as they did not know the secret of making porcelain, they stuck to their own techniques, refining enamels and decorations until they had a product that was very marketable, although still not translucent.
The Second Half of the 17th Century
According to Rick Erickson in Royal Delft, A Guide to De Porceleyne Fles, the second half of the 17th century saw around 32 potteries working in Delft, one of which is still producing the fine blue and white ware we associate with the city. It was called "De Porceleyne Fles" or The Porcelain Jar and was founded in 1653. Many other Dutch towns also had potteries, among them Haarlem, Rotterdam and Middeburg but Delft became the main centre and has given its name to this type of ware.
Although the blue and white ware was the main product for nearly two centuries, the old polychrome decorations, greatly improved in technique and design remained popular. Coloured tiles in green, orange, yellow and violet were also produced. In the 18th century, however, with the invention of real porcelain in Saxony and the success of the English potters, led by Josiah Wedgwood in the Staffordshire area of England, the Dutch potters found they were unable to adapt.
Dutch Potteries Started to Close
The only way for the Dutch manufacturers to survive was to make their own products cheaper and they did so with the result that the quality of the ware itself and of the designs deteriorated. One pottery after another closed until in 1813 only three potteries remained, one of them being De Porceleyne Fles in Delft.
Two of the three remaining potteries in Delft finally closed down during the first years of the 19th century. De Porcelyne Fles survived but did not do very well. Art pottery was made but most of the production was of cheap printed ware destined for export.
The Revival After 1867
Thankfully, a revival took place after 1867 when Joost Thooft bought the factory. He soon realized that the old Majolica technique should be discontinued. Together with Mr. Labouchere, who became associated with the firm in 1884, he made a new type of blue Delft with the white, hard body of English stoneware. The white burning clays and other materials were mixed and after moulding the plates, dishes, vases, etc. were dried and fired. On this fired earthenware or "biscuit" the decoration was painted by hand, then the items were glazed and fired a second time. After this second firing the decorations appeared in blue under the molten, glassy, transparent glaze. It took some time to arrive at the ideal way of firing and to find the best type of kilm, but finally everything was set and a team of skilled artists was formed.
Success At Last
The efforts of everyone involved met with great success and within a few years "Delft" pottery was known all over the world. If you are in Delft, you may visit the factory, now with "Royal Delft" as part of the name. Thre is a museum and one may visit the production area. The address is Rotterdamseweg 196, Delft, The Netherlands.
Sources
- www.royaldelft.com
- Royal Delft, A Guide to De Porceleyne Fles by Rick Erickson
