Woman in Delft Blue - Tile tableau from an orphanage in Sommelsdijk

by MadameRuiz

A woman is hidden in a tile tableau originating from an orphanage in Sommelsdijk. Looking out over the birds, flowers and plants in Delft Blue.

An interesting combination of classic and modern. Appropriate in both a rural farmhouse, and in a modern interior.

The delft blue tile pattern naturally reminds us of the time of the Golden Age, although the original is from the early 18th century, namely 1725. In the Golden Age, Delft blue was designed out of a form of pure necessity. Chinese porcelain, imported by overseas trade, was so incredibly popular among the Dutch bourgeoisie that demand far exceeded supply. This led to the creation of a Dutch variant on Chinese porcelain, namely Delft pottery. At first it was completely in the style of the Chinese, with drawings of Chinese landscapes and people. Later on it became more Dutch with windmills, tulips, clogs and peasant women.

The original used for this collage comes from the Rijkscollection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and was made in Delft. It is a tile tableau of faience (a type of pottery), consisting of 96 tiles, painted blue in the glaze with a flower vase on a pedestal. To the left is a parrot on a stick, to the right a cockerel. The representation is surrounded on three sides by a border of leaf and flower motifs with cupids.
Object number BK-NM-4638