Vintage Table Lamp from Delft, Royal Tichelaar Makkum, 1940s

Meet Frisia! Named after the land of her birth, in the most northern part of the Netherlands, Frisia is a one-of-a-kind lamp lovingly handcrafted from a gorgeous, vintage, hand-painted Royal Tichelaar Makkum (the oldest ceramic company in the Netherlands, circa 1572), Delft style vase. She is paired with a custom contemporary lampshade in a luxurious deep indigo velvet, handmade in an atelier near Amsterdam.

The exquisite vase (or pul, jar with lid), which forms the base of the lamp, was handmade and hand-painted by one of Royal Tichelaar Makkum’s master painters between 1940-60, as indicated by the marking on the bottom.

Frisia’s design features cascading ochre blossoms of peonies, chrysanthemums, and tulips with green acanthus leaves, along with Japanese Karakusa arabesque curlicues.

Much of the most beautiful modern Delftware comes from the Tichelaar factory in the quaint fishing village of Makkum. Preserving the centuries old tradition passed on by the 13 generations of Tichelaars, nearly all the production is still done by hand. Koninklijke Tichelaar (1572) is the oldest ceramics company in the Netherlands based in Makkum, Friesland. After initially producing bricks and tiles, the company has focused on traditional decorative pottery since 1890. In 1960, the company received the Royal predicate on the occasion of its 300th anniversary. Royal Tichelaar Makkum takes its long history seriously without resting on their laurels. They continue to experiment, bringing together classic craftsmanship, contemporary design and research for the future.