Delft is a type of earthenware that was made in the late 1500’s and flourished into the mid-1700’s. It is named for the town of Delft in the Netherlands, a center of production. About the same time, potters in England made a similar pottery also called delft. Delft was glazed with tin oxide to produce a creamy white surface. Designs were painted with other metallic oxides that turned various colors when the pottery was fired (baked). Delft resembles pottery called faience and majolica. The three types differ in the style of their decoration. See Faience; Majolica.
Delft of the early 1600’s imitated Chinese porcelain. By the 1700’s, potters had adopted European stylistic characteristics and subject matter. Dutch delft often shows historical events, landscapes, or scenes of daily life. Much English delft is decorated with simple mottoes or portraits of monarchs. Some delft is still produced today.
