Boch Frères Keramis antique handpainted Delft blue chinoiserie style 'garlic-neck' vase

Large (39 cm high) antique handpainted Delft style "garlic-neck" vase (the Dutch name for this type of vase is "knobbelvaas", which translates to "knob vase"). The vase is made between 1874 and 1900 by Boch Frères Keramis in La Louvière, Belgium. The vase has a classic Delft blue Chinoiserie style decoration painted on a white tin-glaze. The body of the vase has four panels / cartouches with two different decors of a bird in a fenced off flower garden. The panels are surrounded by smaller panels with flowers and Delft style ornaments. The knob and neck of the vase are also decorated with small cartouches and Delft style ornaments. The inside of the vase is fully glazed.

The vase is signed at the bottom with a handpainted BFK (Boch Frères Keramis) mark and a handpainted number "9" or letter "q". Most likely it is a letter "q", which is a painter’s signature more often found on these kind of vases. There are also several numbers impressed in the ceramic: "82" with directly below it a number "4". This could very well indicate the date the vase was produced. In this case then "82" is the year of production (1882) and the number "4" is the month (April). In addition to the numbers there is also an impressed letter "Q" (similar to the painters signature) and a small letter "x".

This vase was produced in the famous "Chambre des Peintres Hollandais" of Boch Frères Keramis (now Royal Boch) in La Louvière, Belgium. This was a special chamber at the BFK factory where handpainted Delft style ceramics were made in the best of Dutch traditions by Dutch painters hired from the Netherlands (from Delft and Maastricht).

The handpainted ceramics of the "Chambre des Peintres" was oriented towards the more wealthy customers, in addition to the main lines of ceramics from the factory which were produced for the more general public, in an industrial manner using transfer (printing) techniques.

The vase has small glazing errors, which are detailed in the pictures. They are not very disturbing and actually give the vase an antique look similar to much older Delftware. Around the rim of the vase the white tin-glaze is a bit thinly applied, which makes that the yellow coloured earthenware underneath it shines through. These imperfections are more often seen with Delft style vases of Boch Frères Keramis from this period. It is a characteristic of the artisanal way the vases were produced and should not be considered a defect.

Aside from the glazing errors, the vase is in a very good condition. There are no damages, cracks or hairlines. The glaze shows little wear, it has no crazing and it has a beautiful gentle gloss.

This is a rare and very classic Delft chinoiserie style vase which is great for decoration. It will fit into a variety of interiors, from classic to modern. The vase is very sturdy and fully glazed, so it can also be used (with care) as an actual flower vase.

Made by: Boch Frères Keramis (Royal Boch)

Place of manufacture: La Louvière, Belgium

Year of manufacture: between 1874 - 1900 (marks may indicate April 1882)

Method of decoration: handpainted (tin-glaze)

Size: height 29,0 cm, diameter 18,8 cm (capacity 3,7 litres)

Weight: 1,54 kg

Additional pictures of the objects can be provided if required.

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About Boch Frères Keramis (Royal Boch):

In 1844 the brothers Eugène and Victor Boch started a ceramic factory in La Louvière, in the mid-south of Belgium. The brothers were from the Boch family which also owned large ceramic factories in Germany and Luxembourg, under the famous name of Villeroy and Boch. The factory in La Louvière produced decorative ceramics and tableware in a variety of styles using transfer printing techniques (copperplate engravings transferred to ceramics).

Around 1874 the factory also started to produce fine handpainted ceramics in Delft style by hiring Dutch painters from the Netherlands. These Delft style pieces are signed with a handpainted mark which is a combination of the letters B F K. These products are known as products from the "Chambre des Peintres Hollandais" (the Dutch painters chamber). In addition to these Delft style pieces several other styles of handpainted ceramics were also made (in various French, Persian and Chinese styles), but these products have a different mark.

The production of the "Chambre des Peintres" ended somewhere around 1900, and the factory continued with production of transfer printed pieces (also in Delft style) and ceramics in Art Nouveau and later also Art Deco styles. From 1920 onwards the factory became well known for its high-quality pieces of the designer Charles Catteau, and later also Raymond Chevallier.

Like many other ceramic factories, Boch Frères Keramis during the sixties and seventies struggled to keep production profitable, facing a strong rise in labour costs. In 1985 the company went bankrupt and was liquidated. From 1985 to 2009 the ownership of the factory passed through several hands and production activities were reduced or split off. Since 2009 a new owner is active who tries to bring new life into the factory and to continue the legacy of the BFK brand. More information can be found on the website www.royalboch.com.

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This beautiful vase will be very well and securely packed and send by tracked and 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 full refund (return costs are however not covered).