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Museum · Delft, Holanda Meridional
Royal Delft
The last Delft blue-and-white pottery factory still operating since the 17th century. The museum shows the history of Delfts blauw, and visitors can see the painters working by hand.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Royal Delft
Royal Delft, historically named De Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, was founded in 1653 and is the last of the old Delft blue-and-white factories still operating. The pottery, called Delfts blauw, began as a Dutch imitation of Chinese porcelain that arrived via the Dutch East India Company.
The visit includes the museum, with pieces from several centuries, and the factory, where the process is shown step by step: shaping the clay, the first firing, hand painting and the second firing.
The most surprising detail is the color. Painters use a cobalt-oxide-based paint that is black at the time of painting. Only in the second firing, at about 1,200 degrees, does the design turn blue. Each hand-painted piece bears the signature of the maker.
The shop sells hand-painted pieces and others decorated industrially. The price difference is large, and the mark on the base helps tell which is which.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 1.5 to 2 hours.
Best time
On weekdays, when the painters are usually working in the studio. Check the schedule before you go.
How to get there
It is on Rotterdamseweg, outside the historic center, about a 20-minute walk from the Markt or a few minutes by bus from Delft station.
Tip
Ask to see the painting demonstration. In the shop, check the base of the piece to see if it was hand-painted. Many shops in the center sell industrially decorated ceramics that look similar.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Royal Delft
Is Royal Delft a museum or a factory?
Both. Visitors go through the museum and the working factory, where they see the stages of production and the painters at work.
Why is Delft pottery blue?
The paint made from cobalt oxide is black when applied and turns blue in the second firing, at about 1,200 degrees Celsius.
How can you tell if the piece was hand-painted?
At Royal Delft each hand-painted piece bears the painter's signature and the factory mark on the base. Factory-decorated pieces cost considerably less.
Is it in the center of Delft?
No. It's about a 20-minute walk from the Markt, south of the old center.