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Lot Essay
Including the present vase, only seven of this rare type of tulip vase are known to be extant. Six are recorded in literature, and include the two at Althorp House, thought to be given by the King-Stadholder to William to Robert Spencer, second Earl of Sunderland (1641-1702), forebear to the late Princess Diana, during his visit there in 1695. The other known pieces are the vase at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, with a similar fountain ornament to the back; the vase at the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Cologne, with the monogram WR replaced by a cherub and a floral back; the vase at Het Loo, Apeldoorn, with floral back; and the vase with monogram WR, only known from photograph, with a helmet instead of a bust.
Spouted flower vessels are found in Persia and the Middle East from the late 12th century, then later in France and the Low Countries. During the late 17th century the powerful and fashionably minded royal and aristocratic patrons looked to the East for stylistic inspiration. The beautiful earthenware produced in Delft at this time rivalled Chinese export porcelain and came in equally exotic shapes. The VOC imported Chinese porcelain into Europe and this was directly copied by Dutch delft manufacturers. Delft flower-vases with spouts could take many forms. Some were tureen or basket shape, or small multi-spouted vases intended for display on fireplaces or tables (such as the present example). Others were more elaborate and complicated multi-tiered flower pyramids, obelisks or large vases.
Queen Mary's collection of Delft at Het Loo provided inspiration for a similar collection in England and her interest and involvement in the Delft industry combined with her passion for horticulture helped fuel the development of an extraordinary number of bizarre forms of flower vases. It became fashionable in aristocratic households to bring the outside, in, and display elaborate flower blooms in the grand interiors of the day. Vases of flower specimens were placed on fireplaces, or on tables for feasts. Although known as ‘tulipières’, this term is thought to have originated in the 19th century, and before this they were known as ‘bouquetiers à Jacinthes’ (hyacinth bouquetiers). Contemporary representations of such Delftware vessels show that they were in fact used to display many and varied specimens.
Today, flower vases of this type, remain preserved in some of the most important noble and royal collections in the country. The form of the present example is much rarer than most. Given the provenance of some of the other examples of this type, it seems likely that the present lot was commissioned by a particularly prominent family or given as a royal gift.
See Christine Lahaussois, Delfts Aardewerk, Paris, 2008, p. 97, AFB. 11, for an illustration at the vase at Paleis Het Loo (inv. RL 301) and p. 101, AFB. 4 for the example of one vase at Althorp House, Northamptonshire. Also see A.M.L.E. Erkelens, ‘Delffs Porcelijn' van koningin Mary II (Queen Mary's 'Delft porcelain'), Ceramiek op Het Loo uit de tijd van Willem III en Mary II (Ceramics at Het Loo from the time of William and Mary), Zwolle, 1996, pp. 78-80 for illustrations of the examples at Het Loo, the pair at Althorp House and the example in the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Cologne, as well as a reference to the example known only by photograph.
Spouted flower vessels are found in Persia and the Middle East from the late 12th century, then later in France and the Low Countries. During the late 17th century the powerful and fashionably minded royal and aristocratic patrons looked to the East for stylistic inspiration. The beautiful earthenware produced in Delft at this time rivalled Chinese export porcelain and came in equally exotic shapes. The VOC imported Chinese porcelain into Europe and this was directly copied by Dutch delft manufacturers. Delft flower-vases with spouts could take many forms. Some were tureen or basket shape, or small multi-spouted vases intended for display on fireplaces or tables (such as the present example). Others were more elaborate and complicated multi-tiered flower pyramids, obelisks or large vases.
Queen Mary's collection of Delft at Het Loo provided inspiration for a similar collection in England and her interest and involvement in the Delft industry combined with her passion for horticulture helped fuel the development of an extraordinary number of bizarre forms of flower vases. It became fashionable in aristocratic households to bring the outside, in, and display elaborate flower blooms in the grand interiors of the day. Vases of flower specimens were placed on fireplaces, or on tables for feasts. Although known as ‘tulipières’, this term is thought to have originated in the 19th century, and before this they were known as ‘bouquetiers à Jacinthes’ (hyacinth bouquetiers). Contemporary representations of such Delftware vessels show that they were in fact used to display many and varied specimens.
Today, flower vases of this type, remain preserved in some of the most important noble and royal collections in the country. The form of the present example is much rarer than most. Given the provenance of some of the other examples of this type, it seems likely that the present lot was commissioned by a particularly prominent family or given as a royal gift.
See Christine Lahaussois, Delfts Aardewerk, Paris, 2008, p. 97, AFB. 11, for an illustration at the vase at Paleis Het Loo (inv. RL 301) and p. 101, AFB. 4 for the example of one vase at Althorp House, Northamptonshire. Also see A.M.L.E. Erkelens, ‘Delffs Porcelijn' van koningin Mary II (Queen Mary's 'Delft porcelain'), Ceramiek op Het Loo uit de tijd van Willem III en Mary II (Ceramics at Het Loo from the time of William and Mary), Zwolle, 1996, pp. 78-80 for illustrations of the examples at Het Loo, the pair at Althorp House and the example in the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Cologne, as well as a reference to the example known only by photograph.