BlueD1653

Product design

Royal Delft has long been synonymous with Dutch tradition, tourism and lets face it kitsch. But now the brand is reinventing itself under a new name - BlueD1653 - with the help from fresh young Dutch design talents.

By Cassandra Pizzey / 15-12-2011

Creative director of Royal Delft's latest edition BlueD1653, Joffrey Wallonker, enlisted Arian Brekveld, Chris Koens and Damian O'Sullivan to rethink Delfware for a younger market. The threesome were commissioned to incorporate the DNA of Royal Delft in products through a more modern approach.

The name BlueD1653 refers to the year in which De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft) first opened its doors. Each of the products is handpainted by Delft's Master Painters.

So what can we expect from this new Delftware brand? The various products are rooted in the history of Royal Delft such as Brekveld's Blue Collar Bottles. Based on traditional cabinet pieces from the 17th and 18th century, the bottles have a modern aesthetic thanks to their sober forms. A hint of the traditional, handpainted blue glaze combined with soft collars is found on the bottlenecks, adding to their decorative function. Unlike the historical bottles, however, the Touch of Blue tableware is intended for everyday use as the pieces are in fact functional vessels.

"The enormous history of the brand inspires me the most," says Brekveld. "The interaction between the designers and the Master Painters was great, the painters have their own handwriting but as a designer you have control over the final design."

Chris Koen's Blue Rings are the proof that Delftware and a modern interior can be combined. The RingFruit and RingDesk are ornate porcelain rings attached to a flat, perforated base and act - as the name says - as either a fruit bowl or organizer for small objects.

Creating double-function ceramics is Damian O'Sullivan whose "Double Heritage plays on classic forms derived from existing Royal Delft pieces. The ‘double’ comes from the additional function each vessel begets through its separation in two parts. The double therefore also becomes at once decorative and functional, permitting Delft DNA to be carried into the 21st century in a contemporary setting."

With this new addition to the Royal Delft family the brand aims to bring together its heritage of Master painters and the present day through modern Dutch design. The products seem to capture our modern-day values while keeping intact the porcelain company's history.