The History of Delftware

Delft Pottery is famous for its iconic blue and white pottery and antique delftware has been manufactured since the 16th century. The pottery was given its moniker because of the city where it had been crafted, the city of Delft in the Netherlands. The primary version of Delft pottery was in the form of low-fired earthenware and they were coloured with a small layer of opaque glaze. The most popular variety of Delftware consists of jars, vases, pictorial plates, and tiling which is the most famous Delft creation. Delft tiles are considered to be some of the most appreciated Delftware and there were 800 million tiles manufactured in a period of 200 years. If you are an admirer of Delftware you can still obtain a number of original Delft tiles in traditional Dutch houses.

Delft was generally known as the "Parent of Pottery" in England. There were primarily six distinct centers in Holland including Delft which were involved in manufacturing pottery. There was a time when a huge volume of Delft pottery was shipped to England. Delft became the most commonly seen name for any opaque fictile, and the affordable cost of Delftware made them especially prominent among all the classes in England. Delft pottery is known for its utilitarian uses as well as having artistic values.

The history of Delft pottery dates back to 1310 when it was utilized by the local people mainly. The art of Delftware was not only confined to Holland. Potters from various other countries like Germany, France, and England started creating Delftware. There was a major difference in the design as well as the shape of pottery from these countries. But in addition to the variance in shape and size, there was a significant difference in the craftsmanship of porcelain. The German potters excelled in this contest and developed a very fine porcelain blend in the Eighteenth century. Around the same time frame potters from England started working on Creamware exacerbating the levels of competition faced by Delftware. The so-called large producers were closed and by the year 1764 there were only 23 Delft manufacturing businesses still left in Holland. This number continued reducing and the Delftware industry in Holland experienced a huge decline as a result of the new level of competition.

The end of the Eighteenth century marked the end of many of the Delftware companies due to the new trends and effective manufacturing procedures of their rivals. Today only two Delftware factories are operational, one of them being the renowned Delftware company known as "Royal Delft".

Delftware were the pottery trendsetters of their period and it is really easy to recognize Delftware in traditional Dutch houses. The key credit goes to the large-scale production of Delftware. If you are interested in Delftware then it is advisable to get yourself familiar with the historical past of Delftware. The Internet can be quite a good source in your quest of understanding the history of Delft pottery.

Visit our website to find pottery classes near you! Does your pottery business or organization hold pottery workshops, classes, events, or meetings? Get indexed in our directory. It is completely free!


Original article

No comments: