A Pair of Blue & White Delft Pottery Chargers

A pair of late 18th century blue and white pottery chargers of good scale, the centres decorated with circular still life panels, the rims articulated with insects and sprigs.

Old restorations to both plates, the surface decoration unaffected.

Imitating Chinese blue and white porcelain, Delftware owes its name to the city in which it was produced and came into being in the 16th century. Between 1600 and 1800 Delft was one of the most important European ceramic production centres. To start with, Delftware was a more affordable alternative to Chinese export porcelain. Other than its Eastern counterparts, the clay used to produce it was coated with a thin layer of tin which allowed for a crisp and smooth finish and Asian themes were replaced with Dutch sceneries and subject matter. Soon this charming new genre was sought after internationally and exported as far as China and Japan.

This wonderful pair of chargers is decorated in a pattern of northern European fruits, animals and plants, typical for Dutch pottery.