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Aronson Antiquairs of Amsterdam

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Nederland
Amsterdam
Aronson Antiquairs of Amsterdam

Specialists in 17th & 18th century Dutch Delftware Aronson Antiquairs is now in its fifth generation.

Robert Aronson runs this gallery on the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat which was founded in 1881. In the gallery you will find some of the earliest objects made by the Delft factories in the 17th century, and a superb collection of polychrome animals, figures, plaques and chargers from the 18th century.

25/09/2026

How did distant landscapes find their way onto Delftware?

Around 1670, Delft potters were drawing inspiration from Asian porcelain arriving in the Dutch Republic through expanding global trade. On this blue and white bottle vase, an imagined landscape unfolds around the body: pine trees, rocky outcrops, foliage, and buildings are interspersed with a seated figure and two figures strolling through the scenery.

Rather than simply copying a single source, Delft painters freely interpreted Asian motifs, combining familiar elements into new compositions suited to the shapes and surfaces of Delftware. The result is a distinctly Dutch object with a visual language rooted in Asian ceramic traditions.

Interestingly, a bottle vase of comparable form, but made in Japan during the Edo period (1600–1868), is preserved in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

🔹 Delve into details:
Blue and White Chinoiserie Bottle Vase
Delft, circa 1670
Height: 22.3 cm (8.8 in.)
Object no. D2508

24/09/2026

Armorial Delftware brought personal identity and decorative splendor together at the seventeenth-century table.

This remarkable set of four plates, dated 1693, reflects the growing popularity of Delftware decorated with coats of arms. Such pieces were often commissioned to commemorate marriages, births, and other significant occasions, with Delft factories supplying patrons both in the Dutch Republic and abroad.

Each plate centers a quartered shield featuring a lion rampant, a stag, three stylized trees, and an eagle, surmounted by a demi-lion crest and helmet. The inscription “A:v: celaert Anno 1693 10/23” provides an unusually precise date. Around the arms, birds perch among flowering branches and foliate scrolls, while a demi-ruyi-head border encircles the well.

During the late seventeenth century, heraldic decoration increasingly moved from the rim to the center of Delft dishes, becoming larger and more prominent. On these plates, the coat of arms forms the focal point of an elaborate blue-and-white composition, combining personal identity with the decorative fashions of the period.

🔹 Delve into details:
Set of Four Blue and White Armorial Plates
Delft, dated 1693
Diameter: 25.5 cm (10.4 in.)
Object no. D1908

23/09/2026

Who are these two jovial gentlemen, and what were they doing at the eighteenth-century table?

Known in Dutch as Bobbejakken, figural cisterns such as this remarkable pair were probably intended to hold w**e, b**r, or gin. Their open mouths allowed the vessels to be filled, while an aperture near the base accommodated a spout for serving. The long braided hair at the back cleverly doubles as a handle.

Made in Delft around 1760, the two portly figures appear nearly identical at first glance, but closer inspection reveals delightful differences. Their jackets, sleeves, and trousers are each decorated with their own patterns of flowers, diamonds, stars, and dots, all rendered predominantly in blue and white. Manganese details enliven their tricorn hats, shoes, and tightly curled hair.

The Bobbejak belonged to a broader European tradition of humorous figural drinking vessels. Related forms were known in France as pots-Jacquot and pots-Jacqueline, while in England the tradition developed into the familiar Toby jug.
With their ample bellies, elaborate costumes, and cheerful appearance, these two figures transformed the practical act of serving a drink into a playful presence at the table.

🔹 Delve into details:
Pair of Blue and White W**e Cisterns
Delft, circa 1760
Height: 34.5 cm (13.6 in.)
Object no. D2440

**eCistern

22/09/2026

Made in Delft around 1730, this plate is painted in a rich palette of iron-red, blue, green, yellow, manganese, black, and gold. At its center is a delicate bouquet of peonies, an iris, and smaller blossoms, gathered with a ribbon and surrounded by an elegant floral border.

The brilliance of these colors was made possible by the petit feu technique, introduced in Delft in the early eighteenth century. Unlike the traditional grand feu decoration, the enamel colors and gilding were applied over the glaze and fired for a third time at a lower temperature, around 600°C (1,112°F), in a small muffle kiln. This allowed Delft potters to work with colors that could not withstand the higher temperatures of the earlier firings.

Asian Kakiemon porcelain initially provided an important source of inspiration for petit feu decoration, but Delft painters also looked to European porcelain, particularly Meissen, as well as the rich floral tradition of Dutch still-life painting. While floral plates were produced by several Delft factories, the exceptionally varied palette and refined painting of this example set it apart. To date, no closely comparable example has been identified.

🔹 Delve into details:
Polychrome Petit Feu and Gilded Plate
Delft, circa 1730
Diameter: 19.7 cm (7.8 in.)
Object no. D2068

20/09/2026

From simple oval or circular metal prototypes, Delftware barber’s bowls developed during the eighteenth century into increasingly elegant Rococo forms.

Their distinctive shape was closely connected to their use. The oval notch at the lower edge was designed to fit against the customer’s throat, allowing the bowl to catch the shaving soap and water. The circular or oval depression at the side had another, rather ingenious purpose: it held a small wooden shaving ball. Placed between the cheek and gum, the ball pushed the skin outward, helping the barber achieve a closer shave.

Did you miss this month’s newsletter article about barber’s bowls? Subscribe to our newsletter on our website and never miss our latest stories on Dutch Delftware.

18/09/2026

A tiny feline with plenty of character. This miniature Delftware cat, made around 1750, is painted in manganese with expressive stripes and details, and sits firmly on a green base. At just 6.7 cm (2.6 in.) long, its small scale only adds to its charm.
Animal figures formed a delightful part of the Delft potters’ repertoire, ranging from imposing decorative pieces to intimate miniatures such as this little cat.

🔹 Delve into details:
Miniature Polychrome Figure of a Cat
Delft, circa 1750
Length: 6.7 cm (2.6 in.)
Object no. D2557

💙Are you a cat or a dog person?

17/09/2026

Combining humor, craftsmanship, and conviviality, this rare figural w**e cistern captures the playful spirit of eighteenth-century Delftware. Made around 1760, the vessel is modeled as a jovial, portly man known in Dutch as a bobbejak.

Large hollow figures such as this were fitted with a spout at the base and designed to dispense w**e or gin during meals and celebrations. Placed prominently on the table, they were as much a source of entertainment as a functional vessel, the unexpected spectacle of liquor flowing from the figure would certainly have amused guests. Its exaggerated form and colorful floral decoration reflect the period’s taste for humor, caricature, and elaborate figural ceramics.

The bobbejak is a particularly imaginative example of how Delft potters transformed practical tableware into objects of theatrical display. Combining a vibrant polychrome palette with ambitious sculptural modeling, this cistern evokes an eighteenth-century culture of abundance, festivity, and sociable dining.

🔹Delve into details
Figural W**e Cistern
Delft, circa 1760
Height: 33.5 cm (13.2 in.)
Object number: D2644

16/09/2026

Nestled along the Gasthuislaan in Delft’s bustling Zuidkant, once home to a remarkable concentration of potteries, Het Moriaanshooft (The Moor’s Head) stands as one of the city’s earliest and most intriguing Delftware factories. Its history unfolds in three distinct chapters: the formative years under the Hoppesteyn family (1658–1690), a long period during which the factory was divided into two separate enterprises (1690–1772), and finally a return to unity as a single pottery from 1772 until its closure in 1792.

The factory’s origins remain partly veiled, yet from 1658/59 onward the record becomes clearer, when Jacob Wemmersz. Hoppesteyn, originally a cooper by trade, acquired part ownership. He soon purchased the remaining shares, along with tools and two washing plants, establishing himself as the factory’s principal owner. Remarkably, the daily running of Het Moriaanshooft seems to have been entrusted to his mother-in-law, Adriaantje Jandr. van der Sande. Even when Hoppesteyn became the sole proprietor, the lease ensured that Adriaantje would continue to manage the pottery for at least three years. Her role is all the more fascinating considering she was married to Claes Jansz. van Straten, owner of the neighbouring De Lampetkan (The Ewer) factory, offering a glimpse into the interconnected world of Delft’s ceramic production.

🔹Delve into details:
Large Blue and White Charger
Delft, circa 1670
Marked IW 7 in blue for Jacob Wemmersz. Hoppesteyn, the full owner of Het Moriaanshooft (The Moor’s Head) factory from 1664 until 1671, and succeeded by his widow Jannetge Claesdr. van Straten through 1686
Object no. D2403

15/09/2026

Impressive in both scale and decoration, this massive double-gourd-shaped vase demonstrates the extraordinary ambition of Delft potters at the end of the seventeenth century. Standing 61 cm (24 in.) tall, it was created around 1690 at De Drie Posteleijne Astonne (The Three Porcelain Ash-Barrels) factory under Gerrit Pietersz. Kam.

The vase is divided into vertical panels alternating between abundant floral arrangements and elegant female figures traditionally known in Dutch as Lange Lijs (“Long Eliza”). Holding fans and flowers within garden landscapes, these elongated figures were inspired by imagery encountered on Chinese porcelain. Delft painters adapted such motifs to suit European tastes, reorganizing them into balanced, repeating compositions across the vessel’s monumental form.

The Lange Lijs motif reveals the fascinating process of cultural exchange behind Delftware. Chinese figures and decorative elements were reinterpreted by Delft painters, often separated from their original narrative or symbolic meanings and transformed into expressions of elegance and exoticism for the Dutch market. This vase beautifully illustrates how Delftware became a meeting point between Chinese visual traditions and Dutch decorative taste.

🔹Delve into details
Massive Double-Gourd-Shaped Vase
Delft, circa 1690
Marked GK for Gerrit Pietersz. Kam
De Drie Posteleijne Astonne (The Three Porcelain Ash-Barrels) factory
Height: 61 cm (24 in.)
Object number: D2614

14/09/2026

It is Museum Monday! Let’s visit Museum Arnhem!

Originally intended to accommodate the gentlemen’s society for repatriated sugar planters, the Arnhem museum was founded in 1856 with the idea to create a ‘Local memorabilia related to history and art’. The museum has the great honor to exhibit the impressive collection of the Arnhem nobleman baron Willem Frederik Karel van Verschuer (1845-1922), one of the most important 19th-century Delftware collectors.

Amongst the 800 pieces that are presented, no less than 300 are marked. Not only the collection shows what were the interests of a typical 19th-century collector, it also has the particularity to give a great understanding of the Delftware evolution, from its beginning to its decline. We are delighted to admire such a wide variety of objets: beautiful tableware like a magnificent bottle cooler made by De Grieksche A (1686-1701), miniatures and figurines, numerous home objects including an extremely precious black Delft tea caddy (1700-1725), plaques and many more.

By its didactic scenography, the Museum of Arnhem gives us the opportunity to do a big jump in the past and help us to understand the whys and wherefores of Delftware history, and consequently some essential components of the Dutch culture. At the end of the visit the influence of blue and white Chinese export porcelain, the Dutch 17th-century tableware conventions, or the predominant pride of place ceramic took in the home of wealthy citizens, noblemen and royalty are no longer a secret.

Adres

Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 45-b
Amsterdam

Openingstijden

Maandag	09:30 - 17:30
Dinsdag	09:30 - 17:30
Woensdag	09:30 - 17:30
Donderdag	09:30 - 17:30
Vrijdag	09:30 - 17:30

Telefoon

+31206233103

Website

http://www.aronson.com/

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