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Dutch Delftware is initially a result of the first connection between the Dutch East India traders (VOC) and China. Initiated by the demand for the waning importation of Oriental porcelain from the 1640s, Delftware quickly became an iconic national product.

From the 1680s the Delftware industry constantly innovated with new shapes, decorations and functions. Their products were coveted by European nobility and royalty for their quality and diversity.

The city of Delft rapidly became an inspiration to many European and even Oriental potters. Fifth generation specialist Robert Aronson takes you past several objects and discusses five things to remember when looking at Delftware.

Delft puzzle jugs are a rare remnant of the drinking culture in the Netherlands. Delft examples can be found starting in the 1650s through the eighteenth century. The vessels were no ordinary jugs or tankards. They were not intended to function as drinking or pouring vessels, a fact made clear by the pierced openwork on the neck. Rather, they functioned as a game or conversation piece during a dinner party. A puzzle jug was referred to as a suijgkan (‘suction-jug’) in inventory lists of factories and potters’ shops, a term that hints at the solution to the puzzle.

Robert D. Aronson discusses the use of a specific type of Delftware jug. Take a look at this video created as a Cinema Sunday special from art fair PAN Amsterdam 2021.

Robert Aronson explains the underlying meaning and importance of Delftware cows, which are usually decorated with floral bands and guirlands.