A LARGE PAIR OF 18TH CENTURY DELFT VASES MOUNTED AS LAMPS

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A LARGE PAIR OF 18TH CENTURY DELFT VASES MOUNTED AS LAMPS

Holland, Circa 1740–1760.

Dimensions:
Height: 48 cm (18 7/8")
Width: 22 cm (8 11/16")
Depth: 22 cm (8 11/16)

Beautifully decorated in cobalt blue with finely painted Chinoiserie scenes and now professionally mounted as elegant table lamps. 

The decoration is characteristic of the finest Dutch Delftware of the period, reflecting the popularity of chinoiserie in the Netherlands during the late 17th and early 18th Centuries. Rather than depicting authentic scenes of Chinese life, these compositions represent European interpretations of an imagined East Asia.

Inspired by Chinese export porcelain, European engravings after Asian subjects, and the artistic imagination of Dutch decorators, the scenes stylised landscapes that appealed to contemporary European tastes. Delft painters adapted these motifs with a distinctly Dutch artistic sensibility, wrapping continuous narrative scenes around the bodies of the vases. Such Chinoiserie decoration reflected the fascination with East Asian art and culture that accompanied the expansion of global trade, embodying the luxury, refinement, and sense of exoticism so highly prized by European collectors during the period. 

These vases retain their crisp decoration and excellent proportions, making them both historical and highly decorative. Their later conversion into lamps allows them to be appreciated in both traditional and contemporary interiors. In good overall condition with minor professional restoration to the vases. They are presented in full working order as lamps and PAT tested to UK standards.