The White Glaze of Delft Blue: A Comparative Study of Historical Recipes for the White Tin Glaze Used in Delftware and Other Dutch Tin-glazed Earthenware During Their Heyday (<i>c.</i> 1600–1800)

This research intends to enhance our understanding of the tin-glaze technology employed in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Delftware and other tin-glazed earthenware in the Netherlands. The study provides a detailed description of the raw materials utilised in Dutch tin glazes and offers a schematic overview of the production process. Additionally, 39 dated historical recipes for tin glazes are used to compare and interpret changes in the quantities of raw materials within a temporal context. Weight percentages of raw materials – estimated for the final glaze – reveal significant changes over time. The study shows that changes over time mirror the rise and decline of the Dutch tin-glazed earthenware industry, reflecting economic shifts. Most tin - the costliest glaze material – was utilised between <i>c.</i> 1680 and <i>c.</i> 1720, and the highest glaze qualities were reported during this period, marking the peak of the Dutch earthenware production. Towards the end of the heyday, a decrease in tin usage coincides with mentions of lower glaze qualities. The superior glaze quality of Delftware tin glazes compared to tin-glazes of other tin-glazed earthenware in the Netherlands could not be traced back to specific formulations. Other factors, such as the quality of raw materials, likely contributed to the perceived visual superiority.