Tradition
Delftware
Netherlands · 17th century – present
Dutch blue. Imitating China, becoming itself.
When Chinese porcelain stopped arriving, Dutch potters invented their own version—and created something entirely new.
In the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company flooded European markets with Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Then civil war disrupted Chinese production, and suddenly there was a gap in the market. Potters in Delft stepped in, creating tin-glazed earthenware painted to imitate the Chinese imports. Yet something happened in the translation. Chinese motifs mixed with Dutch sensibilities. Windmills appeared alongside pagodas. Tulips bloomed beside peonies. Eventually, distinctly Dutch imagery dominated.
What happens when you stop imitating and start creating?
Techniques
- Tin glaze
- Cobalt painting
- Two-fire process