visit to the Royal Delftware Factory, known as the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, established in 1653, is certainly worth your while. The Royal Factory offers guided tours, painting workshops, a visit to the museum, and a showroom with wonderful products to admire and buy.

History of the Royal Delftware Factory

The Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles is the only remaining factory of the 32 earthenware factories that were established in Delft in the 17th century. Although it is not exactly sure when the first factories started to operate, we do know that already in the second half of the 16th century there were factories in Amsterdam, Haarlem and Middelburg, which produced multicolored (or polychrome) earthenware. Dutch potters learnt this trade from their Italian colleagues. It was presumably not until the end of the 16th century that the first pottery factory was founded in Delft. From then on the number of factories rapidly increased. Not only because seamen got hold of several cargo?s of Chinese porcelain, but most of all because the tradesmen of the Dutch East India Company (founded in 1602), brought home large quantities of Chinese porcelain from the East. This type of porcelain with blue decorations on a white background was very popular among the Dutch. Soon afterwards the Dutch potters started to imitate the technique.

Tour the Factory

A tour through the factory, where the Delftware is still entirely hand painted, includes an audiovisual presentation in English, a painting demonstration where you can see a talented artist at work, a visit to the museum with a collection of antique items from the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles? private collection, a visit to the factory where you can see the production process, and a stop at the showroom.

Visit www.royaldelft.com for more information.