Brantjes Purmerend, vase model 1016, with a decor of daffodils from 1895

Description

This vase puzzled me for a moment. Without proper markings, it was unclear which factory made it. This model, a cylindrical vase with a bulge at the foot and a narrowing at the neck, was produced by both the Dutch Pottery firm Firma Wed. N.S.A. Brantjes & Co from Purmerend (model 1016) and the Rozenburg factory in The Hague and was designed by Theo Colenbrander. But after some research, the answer is clear. This is a Brantjes Purmerend, probably from the factory’s early days, around 1895. The vase is painted all around with a decoration of flowers, including daffodils or irises. The green leaves against the white background of the neck are beautiful, as are the dark blue and dark gray colour fields in the background. This decoration is different on all sides and therefore lacks the symmetry of many early Brantjes vases. This decoration is also not mentioned in either of the books “Purmerend Jugendstil Aardewerk 1895-1907” and therefore must be very rare. The vase is sparsely marked. You can see the signature of Dirk Jan Raap, who is known to have worked at Brantjes between 1895 and 1898, before joining Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland in Gouda. You can also see the letter “A,” possibly the date stamp for 1895. The vase is 28.8 cm high and 10.8 cm wide and is in good condition. Only the neck has a small dent. This vase comes from the Meentwijck Collection.