Dr Martin Blake shares an intriguing story of exploration and colonialism through the story of ceramic treasures within Spalding Gentlemen’s Society archives

In the regular Gems from the Archive column, Dr Martin Blake looks at some of the treasures contained within the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society archives.

The museum of Spalding Gentlemen’s Society (SGS) contains an eclectic selection of ceramics, mostly English, but including some blue and white pieces in a characteristic style known as Delftware.

How its production came to be centred on the eponymous Dutch city is an intriguing tale of exploration and colonialism.

Porcelain is a hard, white, translucent ceramic whose production is a complex process requiring kiln temperatures as high as 1300C.

It’s first known to have been produced in the inland Chinese city of Jingdezhen in the 14th century, and the techniques used by the city’s potters remained a closely guarded secret for many years. When examples reached Europe in the late 16th century through trade along the Silk Road, the fact that no-one knew how it was made added to its mystique.

Things changed after 1602 with the formation of the Dutch East India Company. Although Dutch traders were forbidden from visiting Jingdezhen to see how porcelain was made, from about 1620 potters in Holland began experimenting with their own versions.

In Delft and other centres they produced tin-glazed earthenware, mostly but not exclusively in blue and white, which became known by the generic term Delftware. It was used for all manner of items, from plates, cups and jugs to tiles, jars and vases. Many of the designs give more than a nod to their Oriental origins.

Delftware remained popular until the mid-18th century and was widely exported through Europe and beyond, even reaching China and Japan where, ironically, potters made copies of Dutch pieces for export back to Europe.

It began to go out of fashion from the mid-18th century after potters in Meissen discovered the secret of porcelain, and English white earthenware made by Wedgwood and others became the everyday pottery of choice.

Some examples from the SGS collection can be seen here. The tall vase featuring a stag motif [Photo 1] was produced in Delft between about 1700 and 1720. The tile [Photo 2] is an interesting example of an 18th-century piece produced in England, at the Bristol factory. Although not of the highest quality, it shows Oriental features in the form of the tree on the right and, perhaps, the woman’s facial features, but are those not characteristic English factories on the skyline?

The bowl [Photo 3] and vase [Photo 4] are Chinese pieces, from the Ch’ien Lung Period (1736-96). The shallow bowl features a boy playing, seemingly holding a flower he has picked, while the squat vase depicts an impressive scene of swirling sea and wind. Perhaps most intriguing of all is the elaborate jug [Photo 5].

Unfortunately a covering has at some point been stuck to its base, preventing us from gaining clues to its provenance from any markings there. But it is an impressive piece, its body showing a characteristic Dutch scene of dykes and windmills, whilst the handle and spout are clearly derived from Chinese dragon motifs.

We can’t be sure if it’s a Dutch imitation of Chinese work or vice versa; if any ceramics expert can solve the riddle, please let us know.

If you’d like to see our collection of ceramics, or any of our many other exhibits, the SGS museum in Broad Street, Spalding is open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm.

You can also keep in touch with us, and see some of the delights of our collections, on our website at http://sgsoc.org.

Through social media, we will try to keep you up to date with everything which is going on within the Society: check out our Facebook page, find us on Twitter at @sg_soc, on Instagram at sgs1732 or email us at [email protected]