Early 18th Century Blue and White Dutch Delft Clobbered Vase

This brightly colored blue and white Dutch delft vase is a testament to the Western appreciation of and quest for Chinese porcelain. The recipe for porcelain was a mystery in Europe until well into the 18th century. Chinese porcelains held great status as works of art and were exported to the West in huge quantities. At the same time, European factories created their own wares to emulate the Chinese blue and white pieces. Delft, or tin-glazed earthenware, was the Netherlands’s response to blue and white porcelain.

What is especially interesting about this particular Dutch delft vase, however, is its decoration. The overglaze polychrome enamels reference “clobbered” china, or blue and white Chinese export porcelains which were later decorated in Europe with overglaze polychrome accents. While the vase is clearly earthenware, not porcelain, the high status of Chinese wares in that society is obvious in its emulation of style, motifs, and treatment. A faux reign mark completes the allusion to Chinese porcelain.

Dimensions: 14 in. H x 7 in. Dm at the widest point (35.5 cm H x 17.8 cm Dm)

Condition: Very good. Attractive craquelure all over. An area of scuffing originally made after glazing, measuring 5/8 in. x 3/8 in. Some wear to black around top and bottom rims.

Provenance:
J. Zeberg, Antwerp.