Delft – not just Blue and White

Dutch Delft Porcelain

Brief history

The famous Dutch Delft porcelain actually is not actually porcelain,  as it is often incorrectly called, but  more correctly should be called earthenware or Delftware. It was created by the Dutch to imitate an ever so popular Chinese porcelain exclusively imported by the Dutch traders in the middle of the 17^th century.  A shortage of real Chinese porcelain motivated the Dutch potters to make their own in the mid 17^th century.  Earthenware is a softer clay product , which with the invention of tin glaze, was made to look like Chinese porcelain. The early Delft pieces are decorated with themes copied from real Chinese objects. Like most Chinese porcelain, Delftware was made mostly glazed in blue and white.

Created as a result of the popularity of Chinese plates, the Dutch eventually interpreted their own motifs or decorative themes. Millefleur, Peacocks, and Tulip designs are the most coveted. Yes, round but within the round you have pap bowls, flat or pancake plates, ribbed, fruit bowl, strainers (with little holes in the bottom), scalloped edges, and perhaps the most coveted, some with swelled center referred to as  belly plates.

Variations

Next to the typically blue and white, Delft is found in multi-colors which is called polychrome. There is also another monochrome one, kind of purple in color. This is called  manganese. Many of our customers opt for the rarer polychrome because it seems more special. Polychrome and Manganese however are often higher valued. Some of the polychrome pieces have up to 16 different colors!

Delft items can be signed or unsigned and the technique in design may vary from stencil application (transfer print) to tedious hand painting. Sometimes the age can be determined by the name or the factory mark on the bottom. All Delft is/was not made in Delft, however one of the oldest factories (De Porceleyne Flesch) is still located there, still operational and open to the public,

Plates and Chargers

Desk Globe, 18th century

Delft takes many forms and the ones most popular are vases, plates and chargers (large). However Delft plates was used as normal dishes the latter are not for table use but are more decorative hanging on a wall or displaying on a table easel upright. In the 17^th and 18^th Century Decorative wall Chargers were used to brighten up the dark interiors as they looked happy and reflected light.

The best way to decide which will become the apple of your eye is to visit a museum with a moderate sized porcelain, pottery, earthenware collection. The most important collection of antique Delftware is in The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The desk globe shown here is from the collection of The Mint Museum in Charlotte . (factory unknown)

Spotting the Genuine

To know if you have a plate  in good condition, balance it on one hand and with the other, thump gently the rim with your nail and listen if it makes a ‘clear’, enduring sound  (good) or a noticeably ’short’ sound (red flag). The first is superior to the latter meaning it has not been cracked or repaired. This practice is called making the plate ’sing’. There are other possible factors in determining value. Lack of signature does not mean the artist cannot be attributed as certain factories at certain times only had one prominent artist and very little competing makers, thus a signature was not always customary. And some plates are have staples on the backside but are highly collectable.  Collecting Delft is an amusing journey in history as well as appreciation of it craft.

Transfer print vs Hand painted

When at a brocante or exhibition, one can regularly find pieces with the inscription containing the Dutch city, ‘Maastricht’, on the bottom mostly  with very decorative blue and white floral designs, in rather linear vertical ’striped pattern. Upon closer examination and without a loop, it is possible to detect minute imperfections, typically design lines that are illogically broken, which normally would be continuous. The design seems to be interrupted or shakily applied at best. When the design does not follow a cohesively, but rather ’skips’ and appears imperfect compared to similar parts, it is almost always a sign of transfer print.

Still this form of Delft, while not made in the well known city of the same name, has respectable age and is very decorative. The minor imperfections are an allie to those seeking affordable pieces to add to their collection. The price is impacted by the aesthetics rather than technical damages that compromise longevity. Maastricht Delft delivers atmosphere with its classic blue-and-white design, baluster shape and a nice conversation piece or two. If one can indulge  a matching pair is desireable to grace the mantel or if ceiling height permits, on the top of an armoire.  In the antiques world, things in pairs or multiples carry a factored value.   

 

The Top 10 List of Antiques to Buy in Belgium

Collectors Paradise

If you’re tracking the marvelous in Belgium, here’s your checklist before departing:

 1.Delft
2. Flemish Mirror
3.Lamps
4.Pewter
5.Napoleonic items
6.Bronze Chandelier
7.Luster (Glass chandelier)
8 Dutch Chest of Drawers
10. Cabinet or Armoire

If you can answer these three questions, you’re ready to  shop:

Is the item available and possible to find?

 Will it hold its value?

Can you place it in your home?

For the items above all the answers are yes! Okay, here’s how the list works. It’s inascending order in terms of  the items value, so the the higher the number, the higher the price tag. In other posts you will find information about the items which might be useful if you decide to add it to your collection. Just check the sidebar and click to your favorites for some general information. Good Luck!

Lamps

 Top Ten Antiques   to Buy in Belgium
 

French Palm D'or Lamp Base, ready for re-wiring and selecting a new lampshade

  

 

No. 3

Lamps can add a small personal touch or become  the main attraction, depending on the scale of a room. Take for example a small office with a large desk, appointed with and interesting base topped off by a red lampshade. And you may ask what for an interesting lamp base would I be scouting?  Pieces or pairs of things you can easily have made into a lamp but also one of a kind bases that started out very elegant, lost their glory and  just lack a new owner with a creative spark and little elbow grease to shine it up like silver plated candlesticks. For the rustic or informal look we like French confit pots (warrants another blog, (just google for now) or ceramic whisky kegs with likewise rustic fabric on the lampshade like larger weave linen. For student rooms and and music enthusiast, convert a  trumpet or clarinet  picked up at flea markets or a brocante for a song.  Changing an antique object into a lamp is actually not such a great deal and provides you with a unique decoration at reasonable cost. A little warning however. If, for instance, you decide to have a valuable vase made into a lamp base, please make sure the vase itself is not altered or damaged with serious loss of value as a result. For valuable items like this, special techniques are available which are always reversible.  

 

Old lamps and lighting found at  brocantes often still have their original wires, fittings and plugs. Please realize these lamps may have been out of use for many years. As corroded wiring and pre-1960 plugs and fittings can cause electric hazards it is highly recommended to have your local (antiques) restorer or electrician to have a look at it before you actually put the plug in the power. Bringing an old lamp up to today’s safety standards is a relatively inexpensive exercise and having this done now provides you with a lamp that can be used world wide. Lamps done in Belgium are prepared for 220volts but work perfectly in the countries with 110volts. The one thing you may have to change locally are the plugs (or use adaptor NOT transformer) and of course you need light bulbs with the voltage of your specific country.

Local dealers will also be able to assist you with finding the perfect lampshade. Many stores in Belgium offer a wide variety of shades readily available for your specific lamp style, but even so you can opt for having a lampshade made to your liking. The advantage of going this route is that you are in control of exact shape and color to match your specific lamp or even the decor of your room. Having a shade made to your liking will not cost an arm and a leg and the eventual additional cost is easily compensated by the fact that you have a unique one of a kind item. Always allow for a couple of weeks incase you decide to have an old or antique lamp re-done. All may sound to add up seriously, but new, quality lighting is expensive and having an old or antique lamp re-done rewards you with having something vintage and quality which you know is safe today without the feeling you have one of the millions sold at the mega store.

My favorite lamp in Belgium is the 40’s Palm D’or lamp. Regularly found in flea markets, these lamps were designed after those used in hotels in Cannes and Nice. They are recognized by he 24 carat gilt palm leaves in the middle emanating from a block-shaped base, standing minimally about 20 inches tall. The base material may vary from black metal, chrome steel and some rarer with Baccarat crystal. They can look grim when at the market, but after restoration they are fantastic and stand proud in formal as well as in a contemporary decor. This lamp base when  topped off with a black (outside) and gold metallic (inside) shade, rimmed with a thin piping on the edges for a “tres chique”  can easily become the crowning  jewel in any room.

 

Antique Cabinets Checklist

      

I live in an expat community and it  can get very emotional to see devoted collectors come and go.  Their circumstances don’t always allow adequate  notice between moves to  find their most coveted pieces of antiques and fit  the  once-in-a-lifetime travels into the time slot they have.  (Sometimes one has a minor lapse in judgement and prioritize the travels, but I forgive them :>).  When ‘moving mode’  goes into full throttle and is definitely going to happen, collectors pose two  basic questions:   (1) Is there room in the container/budget for getting (some of/more of/all the art/antiques we want–(after ‘the travels’) ? and   (2) Will they fit in the next house? We’re talking ceiling heights, wall space, windows that need to be just  one inch further over,  (that’s ‘a smiggen’ if you’re from the South) etc.?  When the ‘next’  house specs are not available yet,  a little information can go a long way. If you find yourself in moving mode and still desire the perfect European antique cabinet you might find this link  helpful. 

The comparison sheet does not have tips for spotting the genuine.  Jumping on the bus to PARIS with the antiques course where I explain how to  ’ Track the Marvelous’ is a much more fun and informative atmosphere to learn how to know if a piece is genuine and use the right jargon with good (or scrupulous) vendors when making your deal.  If you  have a day and 135 Euros to spare, check out the full itinerary and registration details here . What you learn this day will boost purchasing confidence and save you from making costly mistakes that can be easily avoided.  If you can’t join me, try to use correct terminolgy for furniture parts and look  thoroughly for damages BEFORE buying. Definitely get things in your  home in time for a last inspection before movers come. Knowledge is definitely power when buy antiques. You don’t want to end up  with surprises or hassles once the container  hits homebound port miles or even months away from the purchase spot. 

First of all, you’re doing the right thing–to get it while the getting is good.  After comparing the prices of your dream cabinet on both sides of the pond, you’ll find the one in Europe to be starkly to your advantage. If  you buy in a Belgium and head for a US destination then it’s definitely a no brainer. Retail mark up in ‘normal’ furniture is 400% and it’s value definitely does not appreciate while antiques are consistently proven to be better investments than stocks, even in a correcting market. When we can’t buy a house, we tend to fix up the one we have!  Even if you get back with a cabinet too high for your ceiling, any local dealer will be glad to relieve you of it for a pretty penny and content not to wait for it to be shipped.  Besides the first rule –Buy something that you like, I offer one more word of advice–Quality. Buy the hghest quality you can afford at the time you make your purchase.

If beauty is measured by the beholder. The beholder should have the following on  his/her checklist:  the style, wood/wood veneer, functioning parts, maybe ’secrets’ , number of compartments and type of storage.  If you want to have hang space for clothing, it’s possible in both of the cabinets shown, but one has a longer vertical drop space. One always has  five drawers inside as well as chest of drawers for compartmentalized storage. Intended usage and room placement is up to the purchaser of course  and the possibilities are numerous.  This makes it a veratile investment as well as a practical additon to your collection.

The French style cabinet is lovely and often has wonderful regional character from the area of France in which it was designed and constructed, hence their style name.  They are usually one huge gorgeous hunk of oak and you can hide a multitude of clutter, pack in the largest lcd tv and all entertainment accoutrements one would want.  Every time you open the full length door, ‘the full multitude’ is exposed. So you might opt to display the beautiful quilt collection or all your Gien or other ceramic, china or earthenware collection. When you move this type of cabinet, you need strong muscles, more than one person/mover  and some furniture maker’s expertise about European construction,  the right tools, and spacious architecture for dismantling and re-assembly.  

The Dutch Cabinet is generally not named after regions of Holland. It’s style is tied to who was in reign and what was they liked, which always set a trend.   Geographicallysmall,  Holland realized her need to connect with outside resources for commercia survival. The shipping industry influenced many of its trade products and cultural contributions and made it the center of The Golden Age. Cabinets became the formal  showpieces in homes of the richest landowners and merchants and this richness is still characteristic.

The Drentse cabinet (okay, it is named after its region, you got me), has three small graduated circular carvings flanking the lower fluted colums on its facade, above tapered legs.  To the modern eye these appeare as mere decoration, but they actually symbolize coins, yes money of the time, ‘florins’.  If you’re a banker does that mean you should have an affinity to this design? No of course not, but one does find the artisan woodwork and design elements to have logical and unique  historical attachment. The same design has an arched top and sometimes the front of the arch has a sort of sunburst design , other times more floral carvings with a central urn. Which one do you think is assoicated with the Sun King? Depending on the nuances, one can tell the age of the furniture besides obvious patina or signs of wear.

More important than style especially to an expat purchaser, is the construction.  Because the architecture of The Netherlands can be on the small side — we move things through windows all the time if they don’t fit stairwells or other narrow places. The Dutch cabinet comes apart to daccommodate limitations–and no-nails, no-hammers de- or reconstruction! It’s pegged, so you want to be sure  you have a ziplock to pop those in and be stored logically for the destination assembly. There’s a diagram on the comparison sheet showing the basic parts (3), but not the five drawers on the inside. Go here to see the insides of the two cabinets. Well, I could ‘wax on’ more, but I hope you find this a helpful. Good Luck!

Pride of Place

Hi and Welcome to the blog of Dutch n Duchess!

I’m ”Dutch,’ a nickname, I have acquired since being in the antiques business.  My wife is an artist and together we run a web based business to supply art and  antiques to dealers . I’d like to share a tidbit appropriate around the holidays or whenever there is a  large  enough gathering  to designate ‘head of the table’ at a special dinner.

It’s my first  attempt at blogging and if not successful I can at least blame the topic idea on someone else–my wife seems to think this one is amusing–where the expression worth his salt comes from. If successful please make sure all cudos are directed to me in the comments! LOL!  Besides antiques, I love to cook and do some entertaining. Researching antiques items feeds my love of history and I am most pleased when I can envision the use of an item that has been out of use for so long to a modern person it is quite a curious object.  I recently was amused to find out this little tidbit while researching these beautiful pewter salts.

In the olden days and by this I mean about mid-1500’s, salt was very precious because it preserved food. At the table there were special containers for it  ( like the small, decorative bowls shown, but there waw quite a variation on this theme–crystal , porcelaine, shells, wood, lined silver etc.) . The salt was spooned out instead of sifted or sprinkled. Since it was very expensive and important, you didn’t just place it anywhere…it was placed in front of the head of the household.  In these days, during colder weather when fires were burned for heating, there was a lot of soot powder, so the ’salts’  (the holders) had to have lids as well.  The salt vessel was considered at one time the most significant item on the table , even during Medieval times.

Well while we’re at the table…perhaps you might wonder who else had access to the salt.  Who got to sit beside of the Head of the  Household? The most worthy male guest was seated at the immediate right hand of the master. Members of the household sat in order of seniority to the left of his lady. And thus the expressions ‘right hand man’ and ‘worth his salt’ came into everyday language. 

I love to come across anecdotes like this because it makes antique items come to life. I often wonder what the man of the house looked like and the stories he might tell about something as common as salt and the cunning of those who lusted its taste and shared their early ways to use it.  My favorite ones are not of silver as I am sure the elite would have had, lined in glass to protect them, but those made of pewter, with softly worn patina and less than perfect form that hint its survival qualities.  I can only imagine the type of  big trestle table, and hearty appetites of the people sitting there,  so aware of their place, and the conversations sprinkled with gossip of the day as well as the little white mounds of salt. 

In closing  I  have a favorite salt products–for any of you who share my cooking passion– salt from the Camargue area of southern France  and the French butter with the salt kernels blended into it for just the right punch. Delicious!  And I admit I do like to be in hand’s reach of this versatile spice at table or stove. 

Smakelijk eten!