Delft blue
ceramics
history
Delftware, or Delft pottery, is a blue and
white pottery (some are colourful)
made in and around Delft in the Netherlands
from the 16th century.
The Dutch East Indian Company ( VOC) began importing
porcelain from China in the seventeenth century. (Delft
was the home town of the VOC)
This porcelain, especially the blue and white, became very
popular.
In Delft, in the seventheenth century
32 factories were producing Delftware
From Clay to the famous Delft pottery
The Delfts ceramics have a white background.
They use a white baking clay.
This clay is imported from Germany and England.
The Dutch clay doesn't burn white but red and
yellow.
• First the clay is mixed with water.
• This liquid clay is poured into moulds.
Delftware is made with moulds.
these are moulds for christmas
balls.
•
The clay has to dry for several
hours. Then they remove the
liquid, otherwise the product
becomes to heavy .
• when the balls come out the moulds they
make them smooth with water.
•
The balls and other articles are put into an
electric heated oven. The firing takes 8 hours
and the temperature reaches 1040 degrees
During the first firing, the clay changes into
stone which is called biscuit.
After this first heating, the balls are
painted.
The painting is done by hand.
Each item is entirely hand painted with very fine brushes by
professional painters.
The painter will use a black paint which will change into the famous color
blue during the second firing.
Different articles in Delft Blue
These days Delft Blue is an
inspiration for several artists
A group of 15 pupils of our school visited the Delft Blue factory 2
weeks ago.
At school we made some mirrors
inspired on the Delft blue ceramics.
For each partnerschool one