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J.W.N. van Achterbergh was born in 1928, the scion of a well-to-do family of avid collectors. From a young age onwards a passion for ceramic creations was instilled in him. During the twenties, his father, the architect J.W.N. van Achterbergh, assembled the largest collection of European and Middle-Eastern tiles in the Netherlands. He regarded these as a truly independent part of ceramic art. His immense collection was exhibited in the then brand new Haags Gemeentemuseum until the premises were cleared by the Nazi occupiers in 1942. After WW II the collection went partly on loan to a variety of museums such as the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam and het Princessehof, Leeuwarden. After he had redressed the war casualties inflicted to his father's collection the young van Achterbergh started to find fulfilment in his own collector's niche: contemporary 'unica 'ceramics. His drive to gather and collect the best creations of contemporary ceramicists became immense. His influence over a major part of Dutch avant-garde ceramicists active from 1955 onwards was paramount. His publications, his technical insight, his timeless feeling for quality and the way in which his acquisitions stimulated young artists and helped them survive financially have been a substantial contribution to the development of Dutch ceramic art during the second part of the twentieth century. An enumeration of all his activities in this field would be too detailed for this introduction, so let us just acknowledge the fact that the Van Achterbergh collection is one of the most important ceramic collections in the Netherlands. In 1969 a first museum exhibition of the then complete collection was organised in the museum Boijmans van Beuningen under the wings of the influential curator Bernardine de Neeve. Important works by Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, as well as works by some other twentieth century artists will be offered for sale on November 1. His choice of works from classical ceramic cultures was strongly influenced by objects which moulded contemporary ceramic art through form and character. This explains the selected array of ceramic objects from China, Japan and Thailand together with Pre-Columbian, Islamic and European masterpieces which will also be offered for sale. The fact that the Van Achterbergh collection was never displayed permanently as a whole in a ceramics museum was a bitter disappointment for J.W.N. van Achterbergh. This catalogue forms a tribute and the viewing days at Christie's Amsterdam will render homage to this unique collection. AFTERNOON SESSION AT 10.30 AM (LOTS 1-200) Italian Maiolica, Tiles and Various European Ceramics

A Tuscan maiolica waisted albarello

EARLY 16TH CENTURY, CAFAGGIOLO OR MONTELUPO

Details

A Tuscan maiolica waisted albarello
EARLY 16TH CENTURY, CAFAGGIOLO OR MONTELUPO
The body decorated in blue, yellow and ochre with palmette persiane alternating flowerheads, within a honey comb structure, the pinched neck and base enhanced with various rings
25.5 cm. high

Special notice

Christie's charge a premium to the buyer on the final bid price of each lot sold at the following rates: 23.8% of the final bid price of each lot sold up to and including €150,000 and 14.28% of any amount in excess of €150,000. Buyers' premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

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