NETHERLANDS GUIDE

Discover Benelux | Top Art & Culture Spots in the Netherlands in 2020 | The Ultimate Destination
would gift large Delftware garden vases
to noblemen who supported them
during the Glorious Revolution of 1688,
which explains why the remains of some
vases were found found in castles and
palaces across Europe. The patterns
would depict symbols of the kingdoms
receiving gifts, such as the Tudor rose
of England or the Irish harp, often alongside
the monograms of their names
painted in calligraphy.
Both the daughter of King James II, princess
Mary Stuart II, and her Dutch husband
William of Orange were avid collectors
of Dutch Delftsware pottery and
exotic plants and trees and combined
both passions by arranging rare flora in
their vases. These were often imprinted
with orange trees, symbolic of the
Orange dynasty, and myrtles. It is believed
they would decorate both the gardens
and their home with these vases, to
draw a constant line between the indoors
and outdoors.
Few 17th-century Delftware garden vases
have survived because they are very
delicate. Freezing cold is disastrous, as
these conditions could lead to cracks in
the artworks and the glaze to eventually
burst. That is why the exhibition of the
new Delftware vases in the palace garden
runs exclusively from the start of
June to the end of September.
A unique display
However, the vases are not completely
hidden away during the colder months.
Paleis Het Loo, in collaboration with
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, has created
a unique display at the newly built E-pier,
to surprise travellers with a 12-piece collection,
showcasing all three designs.
The garden vases stand in a modern
space creatively designed by Dutch designer
Mae Engelgeer, of which the pedestals
and walls translate the colours of
the palace’s gardens, complementing the
Delft Blue artworks and mimicking the
surroundings from their original home.
Paleis Het Loo on Tour
Travellers will be able to learn more about
the extraordinary collection of vases. The
presentation of these distinctive pottery
works at the airport is part of Paleis Het
Loo on Tour, an initiative by the museum
to showcase exceptional collections in
unexpected places in the Netherlands
during the renovations and construction
of the grounds, and to excite national
and international visitors about the reopening
of Paleis Het Loo in 2021.
Paleis Het Loo is undergoing a major
renovation and expansion and will
reopen in 2021. The gardens and
stables are open from April 2020 to
September 2020, where the Delft
Blue vases will be showcased.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Bart Brussee.
For more info, go to:
www.paleishetloo.com
Issue 71 | November 2019 | 53