LARGE VINTAGE BLUE DELFT PLATE CHARGER WINDMILL COUPLE

Boch Keramis / Boch Freres / Royal Boch (1841 – 1998)

Victor and Eugene Boch founded Boch Freres Keramis in La Louviere, Belgium in 1841. From the end of the 19th century until 1920, Boch Keramis produced beautiful hand-painted tin-glazed blue & white and polychrome Delftware. The hand-painted mark from this period features a backwards k overlapping a large B.

Boch Keramis stopped production of Delftware in 1920, although a few transfer printed designs continued to be made using a printed Boch mark that features the words Made in Belgium Boch Fes La Louviere Fabrication Belge inside a circle superimposed over stylized leaves. Boch assumed production of Delftware again in 1969 when the company purchased the defunct Royal Sphinx. From 1969 until 1979, Boch produced blue & white Delftware for Royal Sphinx and used a printed mark that featured a circle with the words Made for Royal Sphinx by Boch inside the circle and with the Sphinx Delfts underneath. A mass of leaves and flowers surround the circle and Delfts. In 1973, the Boch name changed to Boch Limited and the company struggled financially through the 1980s. In 1985, the name changed again to the Manufacture Royale Boch, which featured a new printed mark similar to that used for Royal Sphinx, but instead showed MLR in the middle of the circle. The company changed hands again in 1989 and was renamed Royal Boch, however the production of Delftware ended in 1998.

Reference: Van Hook, Stephen J., Discovering Dutch Delftware: Modern Delft and Makkum Pottery (Alexandria, VA: Glen Park Press, 1998).

VERY GOOD

In overall very good condition. Antique and vintage items by their very nature are used items and will show signs of normal wear due to age and use. As we define 'very good condition' relative to the stated age of the piece, we would expect to see 'character marks' consistent with that age and could include minor nicks or dings to a wooden or metal object, minor wear to a painted surface, minor speckling on a mirror, light crazing or small manufacturing glaze skips in ceramic finish, or slight wear to a label. If ceramic/porcelain restoration has been done, it is of museum-quality so that it is hardly discernable and would be mentioned in the listing. 'Very good condition' would not include chips or cracks in any glass or ceramic item.

CERAMIC

The word ceramics originates from the ancient Greek word keramikos, meaning potter’s clay. The practice of making ceramics has been in existence for nearly 30,000 years. Clay, the primary ingredient for any ceramic, is primarily made of aluminum silicate, which is a malleable soil from crumbling rocks. Ceramics can be grouped according to the type of clay used, the temperature at which the clay is fired, and the duration of the firing.

TRANSFERWARE

Transfer printing was developed in England during the 1750s as part of the Industrial Revolution as a way to speed up the mass production process, and thereby lower the price of the goods. An image is first engraved on a copper plate, which is then inked and stamped on a piece of paper or fabric. The paper or fabric is then laid on the unglazed piece after its initial firing, much like applying a decal. The object is then glazed and fired, which permanently transfers the image to the ceramic. The manufacturer Wedgwood is generally credited with the widespread popularity of this decoration process. Flow Blue, Staffordshire, Blue Willow and some Delftware are created by use of the transfer printing process.

Because EuroLuxAntiques maintains its own website and lists on other online sites, while also operating a physical store location in Newberry, South Carolina, we reserve the right to end any listing early if it has not been purchased outright or no bids have been placed upon the item. On occasion, a piece listed on a website may no longer be available. We do our best to maintain the accuracy of our inventory records but we often have customers interested in the same item at the same time. In those cases, we defer to the customer who placed the earlier order. We apologize in advance by any inconvenience this may cause. Because of this, we encourage all of our buyers to purchase the item as quickly as possible so that your treasured find doesn't sell elsewhere to someone else. Happy browsing and thanks! Aimee & Greg Talbot at EuroLuxAntiques.