Goka (Gouds keramisch atelier) - very large handpainted Delft blue wall plate with Dutch landscape
Very large (40 cm diameter) and impressive wall dish handpainted by Gerard Bunschoten (painters initials: GB), most probably made between 1959 and 1971 for Goka (Gouds keramisch atelier), which was a small ceramic studio based in Gouda, the Netherlands. The plate has a scalloped edge and is painted underglaze. The painting shows a classic Dutch landscape / scenery with a windmill, a sailing boat, sky and water. The painting is of high quality: precise, but also playful and energetic. The edge of the plate is decorated with a classic Delft style flower and leaf ornament which is quite often found on these kind of large dishes.
The backside of the plate is signed with the handpainted designations "Delfts-Blauw" (Delft Blue), "Made in Holland" and "Handpainted". It also shows the painters signature "GB" of Mr. Gerard Bunschoten. The plate has two holes in its footring with an iron wire through it for hanging it on a wall.
Gerard Matthijs Bunschoten (1907 - 1995) was a Dutch ceramic painter ("plateelschilder") who in 1959 started the Goka (Gouds keramisch atelier) studio in Gouda together with Dirk de Lange, another ceramic painter. Both had previously worked together as painters at the "Zuid-Holland" ceramic factory (Plateelbakkerij Zuid Holland, PZH or "Plazuid") and the Velsen ceramic factory (Keramiekfabriek Velsen). Goka produced good to high quality Delft blue plates and vases, supplemented with more simple and small items for the Dutch souvenir trade.
After Dirk de Lange died in 1970, the studio was sold to a new owner (Dirk de Bruin) and Gerard Bunschoten started to work as a painter at the small ceramic factory ’Ons Ideaal’ in Gouda. This factory closed in 1987. The Goka studio under Dirk de Bruin continued operations until 1989.
Although this plate does not carry the mark of the Goka studio, it is most probably painted between 1959 and 1971 for that studio. We know of several other plates with a similar decoration and/or a similar raised footring that do carry the Goka mark.
A very nice and beautiful plate, which can add style and charm to a variety of interiors. Handpainted in the best Dutch tradition of landscape plates. Great for on the wall, or on its own in a plate stand (a matching acrylic plate stand will be provided with the plate).
Made by: Gerard Bunschoten, most likely for Goka (Gouds keramisch atelier)
Place of manufacture: Gouda, the Netherlands
Year of manufacture: most likely between 1959 and 1971 (possibly between 1955 and 1987)
Method of decoration: handpainted (underglaze)
Size: diameter 40,0 cm, depth: 5,5 cm
Weight: 1,98 kg
Condition: The dish has a small (1,5 cm x 1 cm) chip on its front side edge which has been reglued (see pictures). The repair is not very noticeable and could be improved upon by any ceramic restorator against low costs if necessary. Nevertheless, the price of the item has been adjusted for the defect. Aside from this defect, the dish is in a very good condition. There is very little wear to the glaze, which has a very nice shine and shows deep colours. Some age related crazing is visible on the front side in the lighter areas and on the backside. This kind of crazing is normal for Delft items of this age, and in our opinion adds charm to the piece.
Additional pictures of the object can be provided if required.
This item will be carefully packed and send by insured mail. If you buy multiple items from our shop, we will combine the shipping of these items. If the actual combined shipping costs are less than the shipping costs that you have already paid, we will refund the difference. So you will only pay the actual shipping costs.
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 price of the item (shipping costs are however not covered).
Shipping from The Netherlands
Processing time
1-2 business days
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Payment Options
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept returns
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
I don't accept exchanges or cancellations
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Conditions of return
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are your shipping times?
We will send off your order within one or two working days. We use the standard parcel service of PostNL to ship our parcels. You can find their estimated delivery times per country here (shortened link to pdf download of PostNL): https://bit.ly/3ZHTMJ9. In the fourth column (parcels) you can find the delivery times of the standard service (in estimated business / working days). Please keep in mind that customs / import procedures in non-EU countries can sometimes add an extra week (or even two weeks) to the delivery times.
On request we can also ship with UPS for a faster delivery: expedited (within 10 days) or express (within a few days). There are no customs delays when shipping with UPS. Contact us before the purchase to get a quote.
How do you pack your items, will my item arrive safely?
Broken ceramics is a thing we do not like! Not only is it a waste of time and money, but it also (often) means the end for a rare and unique item, which was treasured and cared for by their previous owners. So we really want to avoid any damages during shipping!
We have lots of experience of shipping ceramics, and we have seen what works and what does not work to protect ceramics during transit. If we ship multiple items in one package, each item is carefully wrapped and kept well seperated from the other items. We use large boxes, with plenty of buffer all around the items, so the packages can withstand a lot of abuse. All our packages should be able to cope with a 1,5 m drop without the items getting damaged.
Do you take care of the environment?
Yes we do. We re-use packaging materials as much as possible, which means we rarely need to buy new materials for our packaging. Only foam peanuts are sometimes bought by us, in which case we prefer to use green starch based peanuts which are fully biodegradable, non-toxic and water-soluble.
Each year, we calculate the greenhouse gas emissions in CO2-equivalents caused by our shipping. We multiply that amount by 200% and then offset it in certified CO2 compensation projects based on tree planting / reforestation in various parts of the world. So far, we have offset 35,5 tonnes of CO2 emissions in projects in Bolivia and Borneo (Indonesia). See https://treesforall.nl/en/projects/ for more information on the projects.
How should I take care of my Dutch ceramics?
First of all, don't let them fall! Always handle them in a mindful way and put them in spots where they cannot be accidentally bumped over when cleaning or vacuuming. Some people put some (clean) sand in vases to make them more stable.
Second, don't clean them too often! Underglaze painted Gouda and Delftware can be perfectly cleaned with water if necessary, but often just dusting them off or polishing them up a bit with a soft dry cloth is enough. Overglaze painted items should not be cleaned too often.
The colours of ceramics do not fade in sunlight, so you can put them in bright spots where they look good. But do avoid large temperature differences, which will cause increased crazing in many Delftware and also Gouda type pieces.