What Is Delftware?
Delftware (often called Delft Blue) is Dutch tin‑glazed earthenware—an opaque white body created by coating a porous clay biscuit with a tin‑oxide glaze, then decorating (traditionally in cobalt blue) and firing again. The tin glaze gives a soft, slightly glossy, opaque white ground distinct from hard‑paste porcelain. Although produced across the Netherlands, the city of Delft became the leading center in the 17th century, hence the name.
Brief History
• 16th–early 17th century: Dutch potters adapted techniques from Italian maiolica and Spanish lusterware. By the early 1600s, imports of Chinese blue‑and‑white porcelain via the Dutch East India Company (VOC) spurred demand for similar decoration in local wares.
• Mid–late 17th century (Golden Age): Delft workshops flourished, creating chargers, vases, garnitures, and tiles decorated with chinoiserie, landscapes, and floral sprays. Large pyramidal tulipieres and armorial commissions appear in this period.
• 18th century: Quality remained high, but competition from English creamware and changing taste led to contraction. Many factories closed by the early 19th century.
• 19th–20th centuries: Revival and industrialization—especially at De Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft), which standardized marks and date codes and produced both hand‑painted and transfer‑decorated lines.
• Today: Royal Delft and smaller ateliers continue hand‑painting, while tourist and giftware lines coexist with collectible studio pieces.
How Delftware Is Made (Tin‑Glazed Earthenware)
Traditional Delftware uses a two‑stage firing: the clay body is first biscuit‑fired, then dipped in an opaque tin glaze. Artists paint designs on the unfired glaze using metal‑oxide pigments (cobalt for blue; manganese for purple/black; antimony for yellow; copper for green). A second firing fuses the decoration into the glaze. The result is a slightly soft, absorbent surface susceptible to edge chipping—one hallmark of true tin‑glazed wares.
Major Makers and Workshop Marks
• De Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft), Delft: the best‑known continuous producer. Marks typically include a jar logo with ‘Joost Thooft & Labouchere’ origins, later ‘Royal Delft’ wording, painter initials, and date codes.
• Other historic Delft factories: De Paauw, De Grieksche A, De Drie Posteleyne Astonne, De Metalen Pot, Het Moriaanshooft, and more—often identified by factory symbols and painter monograms.
• 19th–20th c. revival: factories standardized impressed or painted marks, sometimes with ‘Delft’ scripts, pattern numbers, and ‘Handpainted’ or ‘Handwerk’ annotations. Tiles may show workshop marks or only painter initials on the reverse.
Key Forms Sought by Collectors
• Chargers and plaques (30–50 cm): chinoiserie scenes, harbor views, biblical subjects, and floral sprays.
• Tulipieres and flower pyramids: multi‑spouted, often architectural; top‑tier examples are showstoppers.
• Garnitures: sets of five (two covered baluster vases, three beaker vases) for mantle or cabinet display.
• Apothecary and drug jars; covered vases; pastoral and naval scenes; armorial commissions.
• Tiles: single pictorials, repeating corner motifs, and large tableaus assembled from multiple tiles.
Identification Checklist (Authentic Delftware)
• Body and glaze: porous earthenware body with an opaque, slightly soft tin glaze; glaze pools at edges; chips show a buff or reddish body beneath white glaze.
• Brushwork: hand‑painted cobalt shows slight feathering at strokes; transfer‑printed lines look even and mechanical.
• Foot and base: unglazed footrim or tin glaze that thins/abrades at high points; sand adhesion or spur marks from firing.
• Marks and initials: factory mark + painter monogram; Royal Delft includes date codes. ‘Delfts’/‘Delft’ alone is not proof of age.
• Sound test: a duller thud than porcelain when gently tapped (do not rely solely on this).
Delft vs Other Blue‑and‑White Wares
• Chinese Porcelain (Ming/Qing, incl. Kangxi): hard‑paste porcelain is glassy, translucent at thin points, and rings when tapped; footrings are neatly cut; decoration can be very fine; base often shows kiln grit within a clear glaze. Delftware is opaque, chips to a buff body, and has softer outlines.
• English ‘Delftware’ (Bristol, Lambeth): also tin‑glazed earthenware, but palettes and motifs differ; English pieces may show different clay tones and marks (e.g., Bristol anchors). Late 18th‑c. creamware/pearlware and 19th‑c. transferware are not tin‑glazed—look for printed designs rather than hand painting.
• French Faience (Nevers, Rouen, Moustiers): tin‑glazed like Delft but with distinct motifs—lambrequins, grotesques, or berain patterns; color palettes can be broader.
• Spanish Talavera/Majolica and Italian Maiolica: tin‑glazed traditions with warmer palettes (yellow, orange, green) and different iconography.
• 19th–20th‑c. Transferware (Staffordshire): printed cobalt patterns with uniform lines; earthenware bodies with clear glaze; not tin‑glazed.
Values: What Drives Price
• Period and quality: 17th‑century Golden Age pieces with fine brushwork command the highest prices; 19th–20th‑century revival works are more accessible.
• Form and scale: large chargers, complete garnitures, and architectural tulipieres bring premiums; tiles are entry level unless part of rare tableaus.
• Condition: rim chips, glaze losses, hairlines, and restorations reduce value; professional, declared restoration is acceptable on important pieces.
• Provenance and marks: factory/painter marks, date codes (Royal Delft), and documented provenance add value.
General guide (broad bands; exceptional pieces will exceed these):
• Tiles (single, 18th–20th c.): $50–$400 each; rare pictorials higher.
• 19th–20th c. Royal Delft hand‑painted vases/chargers: $200–$1,500+ depending on size and artistry.
• 18th‑century chargers/plaques: $1,500–$8,000+ per subject/quality.
• Tulipieres/garnitures (complete, fine quality): mid‑four figures to five figures at the top end.
Later Reproductions and Tourist Wares
Many 20th‑century pieces are souvenir or giftware. Look for ‘Handpainted Delft’ versus printed transfers; examine brushwork under magnification. Modern pieces may still be collectible (especially signed studio works), but values differ greatly from 17th–18th‑century wares. Be wary of added marks.
Care and Handling
Handle over a padded surface; avoid dishwashers; dust with a soft brush; keep away from rapid temperature and humidity changes. Document any restoration and retain invoices for provenance.
