Tichelaar Makkum medium to large tin-glazed handpainted Delft polychrome style jug / pitcher - RESERVED for Marcus

Medium to large (1,8 litre) handpainted tin-glazed pitcher made around 1943 by Tichelaar in Makkum, the Netherlands. The pitcher has a traditional shape without a pouring sprout. It features a polychrome Delft chinoiserie style decoration of plants and insects which encircles the body. The decoration is more naturalistic and "western" compared to usual Delft style decorations, which are usually very stylised. The handle and rim of the jar are decorated with matching leaf and flower ornaments.

This pitcher is handmade according to century-old traditions identical to how 17th or 18th century Delftware was made. The earthenware (made from local yellow clay) is shaped by hand in a mould and after a first firing glazed with an opaque white tin-glaze. The colours are then painted on this glaze and fused with it through a second firing. This creates a product with a beautiful and unique appearance. Tichelaar is the only remaining Delftware producer in the Netherlands that still follows this procedure.

The pitcher is marked at the bottom with a handpainted Tichelaar shield mark with the designation "HOLLAND" and two crossed T's. This mark was in use for export ware by Tichelaar between 1893 and 1943. Above the shield mark we find an article number (897), this article number was produced only after 1941. Article numbers were only painted next to the shield mark from 1943 onwards. This allows us to conclude that this item is most likely painted in 1943 (or very near that year).

Below the shield mark we find the letters "P. B" and a swirl. It is tempting to think these are painter's initials, but painter's initials were only added to the Tichelaar mark from 1955 onwards. Also, the only Tichelaar painter known to have used a PB mark was Mr. Pieter Bonnema, but his mark had quite a different style and he only started working at Tichelaar around 1968. So the P. B mark means something else than painter's initials. Our theory is that this jug is a prototype, a model to be painted after. The age would match (the model 897 was introduced somewhere between 1941 and 1946) and the P. would then stand for "prototype" (which in Dutch is the same word) and the "B" perhaps for the second prototype?

The way the shield mark is painted points to the jar having been painted by Mr. Sijbren van der Wal, who worked at Tichelaar from 1925 till 1968. See the last picture for a very similar mark known to have been painted by him (Literature: Fries Aardewerk- Tichelaar Makkum 1868 - 1963, by Pieter Jan Tichelaar). Perhaps the swirl beneath the P. B is actually a "S" from Sijbren?

Condition: very good, except that the glazing is quite irregular and there are many factory-made corrections, visible on the foot rim, upper rim and near the foot (see detail pictures). The irregularity near the foot that looks like a chip is actually a glazing / baking artefact if you study it in close-up (it has no sharp edges). Aside from the glazing irregularities, the jug is in a fine condition, there are no cracks or hairlines and the glaze shows very little wear. There is no crazing and the glaze has a nice, gentle gloss.

A beautiful pitcher of good size, very decorative. If our theory is true that this actually is a prototype (model item) from the Tichelaar factory, then this is a unique item for Tichelaar collectors.

Made by: Royal Tichelaar

Place of manufacture: Makkum, the Netherlands

Year of manufacture: around 1943

Method of decoration: handpainted (tin-glaze)

Size: height: 23,5 cm, width (including handle): 20 cm, depth: 14 cm (capacity: 1,8 litre)

Weight: 900 g

Additional pictures of the object can be provided if required.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

About Tichelaar:

Royal Tichelaar is located in a small fishing village in the north of the Netherlands, Makkum. The history of the company goes way back to 1572, making it the oldest continuously operating company in the Netherlands. Tichelaar means "tile-maker", and at first the factory only produced bricks and tiles, but around 1700 production also started of tin-glazed household and ornamental dishes. After 1890 a large part of the production became oriented towards ornamental Delftware in various forms and styles. Tichelaar uses a yellow baking clay for their products, which is locally excavated. After baking it receives a white tin-glaze and is subsequently decorated. This is the way all Delftware was produced centuries ago, and Tichelaar is the only remaining factory to still do so. Other Delftware producers in the Netherlands around 1900 switched to painting directly on white baking clay without the extra layer of tin-glaze. True to the spirit of tradition, Tichelaar keeps mechanisation to a minimum and all items remain handpainted. The quality of the handpainting is very good, it has a distinctive "Frisian" character that is very recognisable.

Tichelaar today still produces some Delftware, but on a very limited scale. The traditional production process makes that the items are nowadays very costly to produce, and for many too expensive to buy. A small number of items is still produced and offered through the shop on their website. The company nowadays has its main focus on producing speciality tiles, with special glazes for architecture / building purposes. More information can be found on their website: https://www.tichelaar.com/.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

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).

Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply.