UNKNOWN POTTER, Dutch
(active 1680s in Delft)

Large covered vase

1680s
Blue-painted faience, height 96 cm
Hessisches Landesmuseum, Kassel

The Delft potters attempted to imitate the Chinese porcelain which was imported to the Netherlands by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. They did not succeed in discovery of the secret of making Chinese porcelain, and their imitations were limited to the outward appearance of their object. These looked Chinese as regards form, glaze, and decoration, but the thinness and whiteness of Chinese porcelain defied imitation.

The decoration of Delft faience was often taken directly from Chinese examples. The large covered vase, shown in the picture, contains three bands of Chinese depictions.




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