Manufacturer · Netherlands · Delft · est. 1653
Royal Delft
Royal Delft – Delft earthenware manufactory founded in 1653 as “De Porceleyne Fles”, the only one of c. 30 17th-century Delft potteries still operating.
We have no pieces by Royal Delft available right now.
New pieces arrive every week. See what we have offered before below, or browse the shop.
About the manufacturer
- Years active
- est. 1653
- Country
- Netherlands
- Location
- Delft
The manufactory was founded in 1653 by David Anthoniszoon van der Pieth. Of the approximately 30 ceramic factories operating in Delft in the 17th century, only this one has survived to the present day. In 1876, the works were bought by engineer Joost Thooft, who ran them jointly with Abel Labouchere from 1884. A building ceramics department was established in 1895, producing, among other things, materials for the Peace Palace in The Hague. In 1900, the company won the Grand Prix at an exhibition in Paris, and in 1919 it was granted the title “Koninklijke” (royal).
The products are ceramics covered with a white, opaque glaze and hand-painted in cobalt blue or polychrome. The company's mark since 1697 has been a bottle (“flesje”); Thooft added the monogram “JT” and the inscription “Delft”. An experimental department was established in 1955, and in 1978, for the 325th anniversary, the “Black Delft” line was introduced. In 2008, the group acquired the Royal Leerdam glassworks, and since 2012 the company museum Royal Delft Experience has been in operation.
