This set of five antique Dutch Delft plates is hand-painted in a rich purple derived from manganese, the color softly glowing against the pale tin-glazed ground.
At the center of each plate stands a flowering peony, its blossoms fully open, the composition framed by delicate floral sprigs and a rhythmic border along the rim.
The restrained palette and confident brushwork create a striking harmony between form and decoration.
The design was created by Hugo Brouwer, active from 1760 to 1788, who worked at De Drie Porceleyne Flesschen in Delft. Brouwer developed the pattern, and the plates were executed in his factory using a stencil to guide the composition, then completed by hand.
Each example in the set bears Brouwer’s H B mark, confirming authorship. C. H. de Jonge, in Delft Ceramics, notes on page 126 that Hugo Brouwer signed his work with his initials, HB, and the mark is illustrated on page 157.
A fruit dish by Brouwer is held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 94.4.341.
The peony, long associated with prosperity and abundance, is rendered here with lively line and confident shading.
The purple tone, achieved through manganese oxide, was especially admired in the eighteenth century for its depth and subtle tonal variation. This set offers an opportunity to acquire five cohesive works directly tied to a documented Delft master.
Dimensions: Diameter 9 inches
Condition: Excellent
Decoration: Hand-painted purple floral peony design with border sprigs
Material: Tin-glazed earthenware
Style: 18th Century Dutch Delft
Origin: Delft, The Netherlands
Date: Circa 1760 to 1788