18th century chinoiserie style Delft plate with fenced off garden (1 of 2)

Medium sized (22,2 cm diameter) handpainted 18th century Delft plate, most likely made between 1760 and 1800. The plate is decorated in cobalt blue on a white tin glaze background. The chinoiserie style decoration features a fenced off garden with exotic flowers and trees. In the centre of the garden a prominent structure which looks like a rock, but which actually depicts a lingzhi mushroom, a symbol of longevity in Chinese art (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_(mushroom)). The edge of the plate is decorated with cloud-like flower ornaments and the rim is painted ochre (yellow-brown).

The backside of the plate has a mark of two stripes, a mark which cannot be related to a specific Delft manufacturer. This is not unusual, as at least 65% of 18th century Delft items has no or no specific marks. Three elongated spur marks are visible on the backside edge, these are marks left by the spurs that the plate was resting upon while being fired in the oven.

This plate is one of a pair, see the last picture for both plates together. The other plate can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4377764275. Instead of two parallel stripes, it has two crossed stripes as a mark on its backside.

Condition: good, but the plate has three edge chips to the earthenware which are mostly visible on the backside and slightly visible from the front side (see detail pictures). The price of the item has been adjusted for this. Aside from this, the plate is in a good condition. The plate has the usual glaze wear on the edge, which is characteristic for antique 17th to 18th century tin-glazed Delftware and should not be considered a defect. In general the glaze is in a very good condition, without any notable scratches and with a beautiful, rich gloss. There are no hairlines, cracks or restorations and there is no crazing of the glaze.

A beautiful and genuine 18th century Delft plate with some minor defects. This plate will look great together with the other similar plate in our shop (found here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4377764275), or just separately alone. It will add class to both modern and classic interiors. The high quality perspex plate stand featured in the pictures will be provided with the plate.

Place of manufacture: Delft, the Netherlands

Year of manufacture: 18th century, most likely between 1760 and 1800

Method of decoration: handpainted (tin-glaze)

Size: diameter: 22,2 cm, depth: 3,3 cm

Weight: 445 g

Additional pictures of the object can be provided if required.

Two examples of Delft plates from the same period can be found here: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20031679 (different decoration, but the same plate model, size and yellow / ochre coloured edge) and here: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/20031674 (very similar decoration, plate model and size, but without ochre edge).

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About antique Delftware

Antique Dutch Delftware is tin-glazed earthenware that was produced between (roughly) 1620 and 1850. It was developed during the early 17th century by Delft potters as an imitation of the exotic (and expensive) Chinese and Japanese porcelain which was brought from 1600 onwards to the Netherlands. The decorations gradually developed from exact copies of original Chinese and Japanese porcelain into distinctly Delft / Dutch styles, motifs and patterns.

Antique Delftware is quite different from so called 'modern Delftware' which has been produced from the end of the 19th century till present. Modern Delftware (with the notable exception of Tichelaar in Makkum) is often made of a fine white ironstone-like earthenware made from a mix of imported clays, while antique Delftware was always made from local, rather course, yellow-grey or brownish-red baking clays. Another difference is the glaze: antique Delftware used a white tin-glaze, on which the decoration was painted and then burned into the glaze during firing (in-glaze technique). Most modern Delftware is made by painting the decoration first on the white earthenware and then covering it with a transparent glaze (underglaze technique).

During the period 1880 - 1940 it became quite popular to collect antique Delftware, to which clever ceramists in Holland and most notably France (Desvres, Paris) reacted by making affordable imitations of antique Delftware, often still using the original old Delft marks. Much of the 'antique Delftware' which is now found for low prices on the internet falls in this category. It takes some knowledge and experience to distinguish the later imitations from the earlier originals. Important characteristics are the glaze, the model and the painting, as well as other aspects such as spur marks, firing artefacts, colours and edge wear. Three distinct and practical characteristics are: crazing (later imitations will often show a rough and heavy crazing, real antique Delftware will have none or very little crazing), gloss (antique Delftware has a distinct rich and thick gloss, while later imitations will have a very modest or even matte gloss) and the mark (blue painted marks on real antique Delftware will always show some 'flow' of the paint into the white tin-glaze, while later imitations most often do not).

Based on our extensive experience and knowledge we can guarantee that the pieces offered here as antique Delftware are genuine antique pieces, no later imitations.

A rich collection of information on antique Delftware (including a database of marks) can be found on the website www.delftsaardewerk.nl/en.

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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).