Delftware is a type of tin-glazed earthenware, made in northern Europe from the 17^th century onwards in imitation of Chinese porcelain, and named after the Dutch city that was a major centre of production. It developed as a cheap alternative to porcelain, which was then being imported by the Dutch East India Company in large quantities. Delftware was often decorated with motifs copied from Chinese ceramics, particularly in the middle of the 17^th century when supplies of porcelain from the East were interrupted by the conflicts that accompanied the rise of the Qing dynasty.

This vase imitates the ‘transitional’ style of Chinese porcelain, produced from about 1620 to 1680. The figures are identifiable as groups of scholars, shown drinking and in animated discussion. On the neck are stylised tulips, which often featured on Chinese porcelains made for export to the Dutch.

 

Provenance: Hadspen House, Castle Cary, Somerset; Sotheby’s, London, 29-31 May 1996; E&H Manners, London; Anthony du Boulay