Delft

Delftware or delft pottery refers to blue and white and tin glazed pottery made in and around Delfts in Netherlands. Delftware originated during the sixteenth century and is still known world over for its aesthetic appeal. The decorations in delftware are completely hand painted. Though primarily known for their blue colour, delftware can also be multicoloured as well.

Factories like De Porceleyne Fles, and Plateelbakkerij Zuid Holland produced delftware till the late nineteenth century, and their creations are still considered as the most valuable for their antiquity. Zenith was a more recent factory that started in 1915 and continued till 1984. The De Delfts Pauw factory is a well known name in contemporary delftware continuing to be in existence since 1954.

Delftware ranges from simple household items to intricate artwork. The early delftware also included pictorial plates which depicted religious symbols and native Dutch scenes. Some plates, generally used to serve desserts, also had lyrics and music notations of songs so that after dinner, the entire group could sing a song.

Delftware not only constitutes house hold items like plates and vases, but also a great deal of construction ceramics, like the tile tableaux, which can be used to decorate and cover the walls. Delftware always occupied places of prominence in the houses of the elite. Vases, pots, or even walls and floor decoration can add the aristocratic touch to your house.