The Mold & The Casting
The liquid clay is poured into the specially made plaster molds, which have the shape of the piece to be cast.
COMING SOON
Waterworks x Royal Delft
Some stories are meant to be retold. Stronger, broader, and forever iconic.
A collaboration rooted in tradition.
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Inside De Porceleyne Fles
Where craftsmanship has been shaped for 374 years.
Same building. Same recipe. Same gesture of the brush, passed painter to painter since 1653.
Sponging
Once all the water is absorbed in the mold, the mold can be opened, releasing the object. Casting seams are manually touched up and sponged until smooth.
Spraying & Firing
The clay receives a special layer of diluted clay called 'engobe'. The product is then placed in the oven for the first time and fired to a temperature of 1100°C. After 24 hours, the product, now called 'biscuit', is removed from the oven.
Decorating
The pottery painters hand-paint the traditional Royal Delft decorations on the vase. They do this with special brushes and a black cobalt oxide-based paint. The painter can achieve endless shades of color by using more or less water in the paint.
Glazing & Firing
The decorated piece is now sprayed with glaze. The glaze gives the painting a white opaque layer. The vase then goes into the oven for 24 hours. During the second firing at 1200°C, the glaze melts into a transparent layer and the color of the decorations changes from black to blue. The chemical and physical reactions between sherd, engobe, paint and glaze determine the typical Delft Blue color.
Stories from the atelier.
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