Curator Lisette Zijp explains why this collection is so special. The precious porcelain forms the heart of the collection of the Weesper city museum, which is housed on the third floor of the historic town hall.
Enchanted by porcelain
“When you see it, you are enchanted by it,” says Zijp. “The porcelain fever is striking.” All the porcelain in the display cases is actually made in Weesp. In addition to the permanent exhibition in the Vroedschapskamer, the museum stores many more pieces in a highly secured depot: the former municipal safe. Behind the thick steel doors is a shelving unit with shelves full of rare and valuable porcelain.
From Chinese secret to Weesper factory
For centuries, only the Chinese knew how to make porcelain. Only in the second half of the eighteenth century did Europeans manage to unravel that secret. The first Dutch porcelain was made in Weesp. The initiator was the Drost van Muiden, who lived in the Muiderslot and saw space, professionals and a sales market in Weesp. A porcelain factory was built in the Kromme Elleboogsteeg, and a facade stone in the building still reminds us of that short but ambitious experiment.
Mistakes as decoration
Making porcelain proved extremely difficult. “A vase could explode, colors ran out or black dots sometimes appeared in the end product, baking errors,” Zijp explains. These baking mistakes were cleverly camouflaged with painted birds, leaves and even insects. Examples of this can also be seen in the Vroedschapskamer in the Weesper town hall. What started as an emergency measure became a recognizable style characteristic. Despite these imperfections, the pieces remained valuable and were considered A-quality: porcelain was a luxury for royal houses and wealthy collectors.
Art on the table
After years of practice, the Weesper porcelain makers reached a high level. In addition to tableware, real works of art were also created, such as figurines that were intended as conversation pieces on the table. One of the showpieces is a porcelain Venus rising from the sea, with a dolphin in the background. “One of the few known statues from Weesp, this is a beautiful specimen,” says Zijp.
