Black Dutch Delftware Buddha

The Buddha is represented as a black monk, clothed in a white kimono with polychrome motifs and a green dragon on the back. Instead of a traditional scepter, the enlightened one is here holding a long pipe, with striped decoration in alternating black and yellow. The model derives from examples in Blanc de Chine, mostly produced from 1640 to 1680. There are similar Delft Buddhas decorated in blue, sometimes also smoking a pipe; in other examples, however, the figure holds a teacup.

Two very similar Buddhas were in the collection of Aronson Antiquairs in 2016, one marked with the IVP monogram, and another from the “De Metaale Pot” factory. “Black Delft” earthenware is among the most rare Delft productions, as the technical processes of its manufacture was extremely difficult. Very few factories succeeded in acquiring the necessary expertise, “De Metaale Pot” being one of the rare exceptions. In contrast to the “black Delft” produced by the competing factory “De Grieksche A”, they used a cut-out technique, and the brilliant black foundation in particular is the most important feature of these pieces produced by De Metaale Pot.

The leading expert of “black Delft” was the antique dealer Aäron Vecht (b. 1886, Elburg; d. 1965, Amsterdam), whose research on this type of earthenware was celebrated by an exhibition organized by the “Vereniging van Vrienden van de Ceramiek” on the occasion of its ten-year jubilee, accompanied by a catalogue and introduction written by Vecht himself; the “Vereniging van Vrienden van de Ceramiek” continues its good work to this day.

Vecht was far ahead of his time. As early as 1916 he organized a selling exhibition of Blanc de Chine in building “De Roos”, together with his father-in-law Jacob Stodel (b. 1859; d. 1935), accompanied by workshops, as we would call them today. In addition to his interest in glass, he was also one of the earliest collectors of Northern Netherlands maiolica. It was not until after his death that his catalogue raisonné on the celebrated Delft earthenware painter Frederik van Frytom was published.

Provenance: Art Céramique Ancien Nicolier, Paris;

Literatuur:

Collectie M.G. van Heel, oud Delfts Aardewerk, Enschede: Rijksmuseum Twente, 1969, p.55.

Robert D. Aronson, Dutch Delftware, Amsterdam (Aronson Antiquairs), 2016, cat. nr. 15, p. 38-39.

A. Vecht & Co, Chineesche Ceramiek, Blance de Chine, Amsterdam, 1916, p. 31.

A. Vecht, Frederik van Frytom, 1632-1702, Amsterdam, 1968.