“Ink connects. Layered, deeply rooted and a respectful ode to Delft Blue and the art of tattooing.” – Henk Schiffmacher
In 2019, a unique collaboration between two traditional crafts from an old world. The overseas brought here from the East; rich in culture, meaning, tradition and symbolism. Art forms that are applied by hand, only once. With a needle in the skin, with a paintbrush on baked clay. Schiffmacher Royal Blue Tattoo is a tale on faith, hope and love. Composed of exclusively designed, hand painted objects and transfered pieces.
dragon plates; the Water Dragon, the Tribal Dragon, and the Blue Dragon.
Dragons are seen as powerful and charismatic beings with the qualities of pride, liveliness, enthusiasm, irresistibility, enthusiasm, success, extroversion, and inspiration and are particularly loved. People born in the years 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, or 2012 have the Chinese zodiac sign Dragon. In Chinese astrology, you also have different elements. On the plates, you see the dragon depicted together with the element water.
“The centerpiece is a water dragon. The water dragon is the most important astrological symbol there is.” – Henk Schiffmacher
The entire Schiffmacher Royal Blue Tattoo collection is the result of a close collaboration with Schiffmacher, the master painters, and the design team of Royal Delft. Designs such as those of ‘Bord Memento Mori’ largely come from Schiffmacher, with a master-painter of Royal Delft adding the finishing touches. A product that the master painter enjoyed designing was the ‘Vaas True Love’.
A product that the master painter really enjoyed was designing the ‘Vaas True Love’.
“Henk had sent me a lot of sketches and it was up to me to create a cohesive piece. It was a big puzzle that I needed to piece together” – Master-painter
The hand-painted bowl ‘Saint George and the Dragon’ is central to the ancient story of George from Cappadocia who fought the dragon. A mythical story that symbolizes the eternal struggle between good and evil. ‘Sint-Joris en de Draak’ is a spectacular, richly decorated large classic 8-sided dish from Royal Delft and is being developed in a very limited exclusive edition of 40 pieces.
“I love the stories of the early Saints when the church was still forming. My grandfather told me these stories. And so is this impressive old story of Saint George and the Dragon. The darkness of the battle and the landscape of the crazy region of Cappadocia, where that battle was fought, comes into its own on this large scale.” – Henk Schiffmacher
Hendrikus (“Henk”) Johannes Everhardus Schiffmacher was born in 1952 and is one of the most famous Dutch tattoo artists. From an early age, Schiffmacher was interested in sketching and drawing. In his younger years he often participated in drawing competitions, and often won them. Due to his artistic ambition he started at the Advertising School in Amsterdam. His interest in tattooing arose after he walked past a tattoo parlor in Amsterdam in the afternoon.
That interest has developed into its own art form that some tattoo artist dreams of. Because of the many trips Henk Schiffmacher has made throughout his life, he has been inspired in the old age ritual of tattooing.
The unique collaboration between two traditional crafts from an old world is therefore also reflected in the Delft Blue pieces. Schiffmacher Royal Blue Tattoo is a story of faith, hope and love.