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The history of Rozenburg Earthenware, plateel and eggshell part 3/3
From misfire to result
The Rozenburg list includes slightly more than 300 models - often varieties of characteristic basic forms. The models that Kok developed were cast in one piece, since the thin material made the assembly of separate parts impossible. Obviously, in the beginning things often went wrong, and many misfires came warped out of the oven. But before the pieces could enter the oven, another problem had to be solved: some pieces already warped during the drying process. It is not unthinkable that Kok's angular shapes, often with several handles, had not only an aesthetic, but also a technical purpose. After all, the 'ribs' at the corners provided additional firmness, just like the handles, although, of course, the latter followed the fashion of the day as well. Once Kok had a grip on the shaping and drying of his models, he faced the final challenge: he had to find a way to control the temperature in the ovens. For that purpose he used a tool which, just like the porcelain clay he had experimented with, had been developed by Prof. Seger. Seger cones, in various formats, warped when heated in the oven. As it was known of each format at which temperature this occurred, this way he acquired accurate information about the oven temperature. In the hellish heat of the biscuit burning, besides transparence and hardness, the objects obtained yet another quality: the shard received the non-porous skin that was necessary to hold the subtle paintings. Kok kept the pieces predominantly white or cream; only every now and then a purple, yellow-green or blue background was applied. With ultra-thin lines, flowers and plants were painted in a stylized naturalistic manner, besides animals like birds, fish, reptiles, mice and the odd mini-dragon. The illustrations were harmonized with the background by flamboyant lines and irregular planes, filled with hatchings and dots, always leaving part of the object undecorated. When the decorations had been applied, the product could be put in the oven for the second time. After a year of experimenting, the first series of eggshell porcelain was finished, just in time for the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, where it was exhibited together with the other Rozenburg products. The new models were favourably received, and in The Hague a great effort was made to bring out a subsequent series.
left: Samuel Schellink, 1913; 10.6 inch vase, with four ears and a decoration of yellow, orange and red spider chrysanthemums.
right: Samuel Schellink, 1899; 9.5 inch coffee pot, with plume top and a decor of blue cornflowers.
From result to success
Six months later, a second series left the ovens in The Hague. The entire supply was sold out within a week, and a third series followed. But not everybody was so enthusiastic. Ceramics and porcelain expert H.E. van Gelder, for example, was an avowed devotee of Colenbrander's "traditional" working method, and he didn't have a good word to say about Kok's creations. In his opinion they were decadent, and Kok ignored the principle that shapes had to be simple and logical, and decorations should be in keeping with that.
He did acknowledge the reputation that Kok's work enjoyed, but still described the eggshell porcelain as "products of a well-nigh ridiculous pretense...' and 'a hoax" .
Perhaps Van Gelder had a point from an art critic's point of view. Indeed, Kok did stray far from H.P. Berlage c.s.'s beliefs, which were the fashion among art innovators. But apparently the buyers market held a different view.
The production increased, and there followed series of vases, often with two or four ears, plates, plateaus in all sizes, and ornamental products, among which the odd candleholder, sconce, or bonbonniere.
Also, great numbers of tea, coffee and chocolate services were manufactured, of which the octagonal cups became the best known. Obviously, for its decorations Rozenburg had to rely on the craftsmanship of its delftware painters.
The decorations were designed by a few master painters, and drawn on the shards with pencil. Mostly, various (sometimes even five!) painters were involved in the painting of one single piece, each one of them taking care of a specific segment.
Thanks to the extensive signing of the pieces with the manufacturer's trade mark, the production year, the work order number and the painters' signatures, the history of virtually every piece can be traced.
Two important designers/painters were in service during almost Rozenburg's entire existence: J.W. van Rossum and S. Schellink. Others contributed during shorter periods, like C.W.J. 't Hart, J.H. Hartgring, R. Sterken, J.L. Verhoog, J. van der Vet.
The inevitable decline
Jugendstil was only short-lived. Fast-developing technology brought new productional options with it and the market was flooded with mass products that had nothing to do with the original applied art movement. Interest in the breakable and expensive eggshell porcelain (a sizeable vase cost 150 guilders in those days!) quickly waned and when economic circumstances worsened, and Rozenburg's other products also lost their market share, the company ceased production in 1914. Tegel- en Fayencefabriek Amphora in Oegstgeest took over the undecorated models and, with Schellink, continued the painting and the polish heating of eggshell porcelain for a short time. Van Gelder - who had become the director of the Hague Gemeentemuseum in 1912 - dedicated himself to the purchase of Rozenburg pieces, again making no attempt to disguise his preference for Colenbrander. Nevertheless, Kok worked harmoniously together with him to preserve the Rozenburg archive for the municipality during the closing-down sale in 1917. He also devoted himself to the realization of a new museum building by H.P. Berlage. He never got the chance to see this monumental building, because he died in 1919. Jugendstil pottery passed into oblivion, and only after the museum accepted the extensive loan of Rozenburg collector A. van Vollenhoven in 1969, was it able to show a serious eggshell porcelain collection. The wealth of data about the factory, the ovens, the pigments, the models, the staff and the finances that Van Vollenhoven had collected, was a great help for the compilers of the exhibition 'Rozenburg 1883-1917', which was held in the Hague Gemeentemuseum in 1983. From October 2007 to March 2008, the same museum harboured another exhibition about the factory, titled 'Rozenburg Delftware from Hague Circles', of course accompanied by a well-documented catalogue. And when the thorough exhibition catalogue appeared, collectors from the Netherlands and abroad could start catching up.
right: H.G.A. Huyvenaar, 1900, 12.6 inch vase, with a decoration of four parrots, each on a branch, and between exotic flowers.