- Material:
- Porcelain
- Origin:
- The Hague, Tournai
- Date:
- 1777-1790
- Marked:
- Stork with eel
Price on request
Porcelain from The Hague was produced between 1777 and 1790 by the Lijncker family from Germany, led by Anton Lijncker, a merchant primarily dealing in German ceramics. In 1772, Anton sent his son Johann Franz Lijncker from Dresden to The Hague to expand their business network in the Dutch city, which was home to the royal court.
The venture proved successful, prompting Anton to shift his focus entirely to The Hague and leave Dresden behind. There, he established a factory that specialized in painting porcelain imported from Tournai and Germany. This marked the beginning of what would come to be known as Hague porcelain. The fine porcelain quickly gained popularity among the city’s elite, and the factory received support from the local city council.
The factory produced a wide range of utilitarian items, including tea and coffee services, ink sets, and flower pots. The designs were heavily influenced by Rococo and Louis XVI styles, reflecting the international fashion trends of the time. Porcelain from The Hague was typically marked with the distinctive image of a stork holding an eel in its beak. The decorations were primarily painted by German artists working in the factory and often featured floral or bird motifs, although examples with figures, cityscapes, and landscapes can also be found.
This particular pair of plates contains beautifully painted bird in a pastel color palette. The open worked border tells us that these plates were used to serve dessert. The borders contain three separate floral decorations in de same pastel color palette and are adorned with gold details.