About Makkum Tichelaar earthware

Royal Tichelaar Makkum Decorative Earthenware Anno 1641

KK 14-01 Onderzijde

The Frisian clay, the passion for craftsmanship and traditions, the modesty about the craftsmanship, are the values wich make Royal Tichelaar Makkum unique.

The family business that has been passed on from father to son for nearly four centuries, is now led by Jan Tichelaar. Each year it attracts thousands of people to come and take a look at how and what is made here.

On the unglazed edge on the bottom of the product shown in the picture alongside shows that Tichelaar still works with yellow baking clay. Afther the first baking-process, a masking layer of tin glaze is applied, a process that was already in use in the 16th century in the area.

Even today they paint the earthenware with various finely ground oxides on the tin glaze. Then they are baked a second time in which the colors appear. The special character of the Tichelaar Makkumer earthen ware is produced by the self-made, mysterious tin-glaze which gives this pottery its gloss and brilliance.

Unlike the Delft pottery where they switched to using white baking clay in the mid 18th century, Tichelaar has never deviated from this ancient technique. This is also the great difference between the pottery of "The Royal Delft" and the pottery of "Tichelaar".

Because the painting is done on the glaze, the pictures "flows" somewhat into the glaze during the baking-process. In Delft they paint under the glaze layer, causing the pictures to be slightly more pronounced and sharper.

The logo embedded in the glaze on the bottom consists of a shield with the word Makkum and underneath
it two T's crossed the brothers Tichelaar. Along with the signature of the painter, this is the hallmark of the only factory of Makkum pottery from the 17th century: "Royal Tichelaar".

The pottery of Tichelaar Makkum is located in a typical Dutch Frisian port town on the IJsselmeer coast named Makkum.

Makkum Blue Earthenware

The blue painting with cobalt oxide gets, because of the fusion with the underlying glaze, a brilliance that has been impossible to make with later decoration techniques.

The decorative pottery is created with love and each piece is entirely handpainted. No print or stamp techniques thereby helps the painter.

Under the sub-button Makkum Blue you'll find the collection.

Makkum Colored Earthenware

For colored Royal Tichelaar Makkum pottery besides the blue, the colors yellow, green and red are used.

The knowledge about the application of these Majolika colors came in the 17th century from China via Italy and Spain, Valencia, Faience technique, to the Netherlands.

You will find this colorful collection under the sub button Makkum Colored.

Makkum White Earthenware

What makes white Makkumer Tichelaars pottery so special is the masking white tin glaze.

The White Makkumer is made in the same traditional way as the rest of their pottery, only it is not painted.

Under the sub-button Makkum White you will find some sample-products.

Makkum Tiles in list

Tichelaar was in the 17th century the name of the tile and brick baker (in a tile furnace). The current descendants owe their name due to their profession from a distant past, a job that they are still doing today and with amazing skill.

In many historic buildings we can still find the hand-painted tiles behind stoves and fireplaces, manufactured in the same way and covered with tin glaze.

Under the sub-button Makkum Tiles you will find some samples of decorated tiles in oak-frames.

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