Oud Delft Nijmegen handpainted Delft style polychrome 'peacock' dish / plate (tin glaze)

Medium sized (23,4 cm diameter) handpainted polychrome dish / plate made between 1921 and 1940 by the Oud Delft factory in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The dish is decorated with a traditional Delft motif known as the 'peacock plate' ("pauwenbord" in Dutch). It features in the centre a flower arrangement that resembles a peacock, hence the name. The plate is painted in the colours blue, brown, green, orange and black on a white background. The edge of the dish is painted ochre brown.

The dish is decorated using a tin-glaze (or a pseudo-tin-glaze, a white glaze without any lead or tin oxide) technique very similar to how antique (17th and 18th century) Delftware was created. With the tin-glaze technique earthenware (made from local yellow or red baking clay) after a first firing is glazed with an opaque white tin-glaze. The decoration is then painted on this glaze and fused with it during a second firing. This creates a different effect than most modern Delftware, which is made from a (foreign) white baking clay mixture, on which after the first firing the decoration is directly painted and subsequently covered with a transparent glaze (before being fired a second time).

The backside of the dish features a pseudo mark of the famous Delftware factory "De Klaauw" (1661 - 1840). Oud Delft is known to have used this mark (and other marks of well-known producers of antique Delftware) in the period before 1940. From 1940 onwards Oud Delft started to use its own mark (a potter's wheel and the letters O U D) on their Delftware.

Condition: good: there are no cracks, hairlines or restorations. There is a bit of wear of the glaze on the edge of the plate, which is normal on older tin-glazed plates as tin-glaze is quite brittle on edges. The wear also gives the plate a more genuinely antique look. On the front side, there are three small glazing errors where the glaze did not properly hold (see detail pictures). On the backside, there are two glaze irregularities that resemble stilt marks (marks of the stilts where the plate was resting upon during firing). These small glazing errors and marks are often seen on handpainted Delftware of Oud Delft and contribute to the old look of their items.

Aside from this, the glaze of the plate is generally in a good condition. There are no visible scratches and the glaze has a nice gloss, with strong colours. The glaze has a fairly strong but even crazing, which fits the age of the plate. There is some damage to the holes in the footring, so it is not possible to hang the plate anymore on a wall with a wire. Instead, the plate will be supplied with a good quality perspex plate stand which is also shown in the pictures.

A very colourful and decorative dish, made in the best tradition of Delftware. This plate will fit well with a variety of interiors, from modern to classic.

An identical polychrome peacock plate made by Oud Delft can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1483427680/oud-delft-nijmegen-handpainted-delft

Made by: Oud Delft

Place of manufacture: Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Year of manufacture: between 1921 and 1940

Method of decoration: handpainted (pseudo tin-glaze)

Size: diameter: 23,4 cm, depth / height: 3,0 cm

Weight: 320 g

Additional pictures of the object can be provided if required.

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About Oud Delft:

Oud Delft (meaning "Old Delft") produced decorative Delftware between 1921 and 1996 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. From 1921 to 1968 Oud Delft produced only handpainted blue and white and polychrome Delftware. From 1968 onwards, printing techniques started to replace the handpainting, with in the early years a mix between the two and in the later years only fully printed items. The handpainted items of Oud Delft were of good quality, and especially their polychrome items were easily recognisable by their distinctive palette of colours that differed from other producers. Unlike other producers, Oud Delft used an extra layer of white glaze as a background to their decorations, similar to the white tin-glaze layer once used on antique (19th century and earlier) Delftware. Most other producers of Delftware in the 20th century (with the notable exception of Tichelaar) just used the white biscuit of the stoneware used in modern Delftware as their background.

In 1996 Oud Delft was incorporated into Aardewerkfabriek 't Delftsche Huys in Waddinxveen, the Netherlands. They still produce (only fully printed, no handpainting) many of the models and designs of Oud Delft today.

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This beautiful item will be carefully packed and send by tracked and insured mail.

If you buy multiple items from our shop in one purchase, we will try to combine the items into one parcel. Any excess shipping costs will be refunded.

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may contact us within 14 days from the delivery date to return the item. If the item is returned in its original condition, we will issue a refund for the total purchase price of the item (return shipping costs are however not covered).