In the courtyard of Museum Prinsenhof in Delft, I was surprised to find three striking porcelain lampposts between the old chestnut trees. At a glance, are they true Delft Blue earthenware or are they Chinese ceramic?
It started in the Netherlands around the 17th century when the VOC (the Dutch East India Company) brought the blue-painted porcelain back from China. Porcelain was an unknown raw material and the blue decorations on a white background were unseen before. It became the source of inspiration for the Dutch ceramists to create something beautiful. The result was Delftware or Delft pottery, also known as Delft Blue or Delfts Blauw, in Dutch, produced mainly in Delft. Delftware flourished! By the mid of the 17th century, Delft had approximately 32 pottery factories.
Today, “De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles” or “The Royal Porcelain Bottle” a.k.a. Royal Delft, is the only remaining factory in Delft established in 1653.
Apparently, these lampposts are a combination of both worlds!
The porcelain lampposts were made in the Chinese ceramic town of Jingdezhen, a sister city of Delft. It is the Chinese city to which Delft owes its successful Delft Blue industry and where porcelain has been made at the highest level since the 6th century.
The painting decoration were made by Wendy Steenks (formerly associated with the Royal Delft) and the Chinese artist, Zhang Ling Yun. This project is a cultural cooperation incorporating traditional Chinese and Dutch motifs on contemporary design.
These street lights were installed in August 2010.
Find them on📍Sint Agathaplein 3, Delft.
I Becoming Dutch 