Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12
DELFT WARE CRAZE
HOLLANDS YOUNG QUEEN HAS IN
SPIKED THE BOOM.
Not Made Now in the u Town Where
wedding chiSet VIII
RingsSs~
Written for The Evening Stag

| The woman who would; be Thoroughly I'D
to date must find some Dutch china to
adorn the dining room or library shelf
There is boom in everything Dutch, ow-
ing to the approaching marriage of the lit
tie queen of Holland, sJusts as everything
Dutch was at the high tide of popularity at
the time of her splendid coronation.
The descendants of the old Knickerbocker
families of New York and the sc'ons of the
old Dutch stock in Pennsylvania have
among their possessions many cherished
heirlooms that are being placed in con-
spicuous positions at this tim, when Hol-
land is socially SO much to the fore The
different chapters Of the Holland Danes.
and kindred societies. have in many in
stances shown sufficient interest in the
marriage of Queen Wilhelmina as to for
ward to her official congra tulations, OF
course, these feel a special sympathy for
everything Dutch and. where the means
and the material VIII warrant it. have even
gone so far as to make an attempt toward
Dutch decorations in their huIurs
Many of the historic household relics of
the families of New England are undoubt-
edly Dutch. This is true of those whose
forbears came to this country in the May
flower, for the pilgrims We're for MANY
years residents of Holland and sailed from
Deiftshaven to America Many of the
pieces of china and bits of furniture now
generally seen in museums and said to have
come over in the Mayfiower are specimens
Ol buICn WORKMANSHIP.
AS, of course, real old delft is rare mann.
facturers of china have attempted to supplv
the demand by substituting modern delft
for that of old-time manufacture.
Quaint and Old.
Old delft was nothing more than a not
terry on which was a white enamel. On the
enamel a decoration, generally of blue was
applied, but often this was of manganese
purple, while yellow, green and red decora-
lions We're not wanting. The quaint stiff
figures on many Of the old pieces Of china
are not characteristic of the Dutch potters.
The oldest delftware followed in pattern
that OF the Chinese porcelain, of which it
was an imitation.
The first pieces of china brought home by
the Dutch traders from China were Guns
and pots In which to serve tea the new
beverage which they --hported from the
east. Nearly all of the porcelain haDnened
TO nave decorations of blue and so the
makers of the ware in Holland began bv
adjoining their pottery just as their models
We're decOrat ted. So great became the do
mand for this new ware that at ono time
about the middle of the seventeenth cen
fury, about 1000 people of the town of
Dent or more than one-fourth of the entire
ture 40 oiao-
The very oldest delftware is in blue and
W n ana decorated in figures, initiative of
the Chlnese. The earliest forms of the
ware We're teacups and teapots platters and
other dishes being later forms.
One of the Oldest Potters,
One of the oldest makers was Albreaht
de keyser, potter who is known 10 have
lived in Delft in 1912. There are several
good specimens of his work in this conn
try.
Il was not until the middle of the eish-
teenth century that delft began to 5;snIav
the Dutch pictures-w ndmills, scenes along
ene canals and seaports. with clumsy crafts
al anchor Inc curious part of it all is
that such pottery originated not in HoI-
lahd, but in England, France and Ger
many. Recognizing the popularity of the
new ware. manufacturers in Liverpool
ItGueh Brlstol and Bonn applied them
selves to the task of producing as fine delft
as was made in Holland. In order to make
their pottery appear characteristic they
accepted the use of DUTCH figures as decora-
tons.
Strange as it may seem, delftware Is
not now produced at the town of Delft
The city's claims for greatness are new
aiong other lines: In that historic little
town OF 1900 inhabitants, in due course
OF time, the body of Hollands queen VIII
one day be laid in the new church beside
the bones of her ancestors On the day
OF her marriage, as on the day Of her
death. the great chime of 800 pieces, one
OF the finest in the world, will ring out tn
favor1te patriotic air Of the Dutch-"Wil- |
MENUS Van Nassau" The arsenal of the |
town was the old warehouse of the Dutch |
East India Company, whose ships brought |
the first Chinese porcelain to the country |
and indirectly made the town famous |
through its pOtteries In the old palace |
" illiam of Orange was assassnated in 1894 |
Dyeing, weaving, distilling and cooperage |
are now the chief occupations Of the towns |
people.
Little to Be Had Mt Delft.
It will be seen that tourists who go TO |
Delft with view to buying at small |
price the ware Of that name will be dis.
appointed. In many Dutch houses, to be |
sure, old pieces may be found, but at the |
present day the ware comes largely from
Bonn and Fayence The handsomest of |
the recent specimens consist of blue and
white designs. Delft Is excellent as a |
decorative china and looks we'll in combi-
nation with dark furniture, particularly |
carved oak The revival of its popularity
Is greatly Influenced by interest in Hol-
lands girl queen. In both Paris and Lon
don she Is popular, and any event that
brings her prominently before the public
insures fashionable vogue for everything
relating to Holland.
ALICE DE RERDT