I first featured Dutch artisan, Ilona of OeiCeramics work in this past feature on the Japanese art of kintsugi or "golden joinery" of broken ceramics. Her contemporary style of dainty geometric porcelain jewelry appeals to modern esthetics. The addition of gold areas gives her designs considerable elegance.
I love her delicate patterns using different colors especially in blue which is reminiscent of the blue and white porcelain made in the city of Delft where she lives. Indeed, Ilona must have been inspired by Delft's centuries old tradition of making ceramics.
Delft, The Netherlands Picture credit : Ziaron |
Delft in the Netherlands has a centuries old tradition of porcelain production. Ming blue and white porcelain from China was all the rage (more about that in a future post) but expensive since it had to be imported. So until the Europeans discovered how to make delicate white porcelain, the Delft artisans came up with an alternative. They used a white tin glaze over brown earthenware and blue colors and patterns to mimic Chinese porcelain. This type of ceramics became known as Delftware or Delft Blue wherever it is made.
Ilona says she loves working with porcelain because the material allows her to work in fine details. She adds :
All earrings are made out of high firing porcelain (1280 - 1300 Celsius) with 24k gold lustre (or platinum). The earrings are available in Sterling silver 925/-, 24k gold plated sterling silver, 14k gold filled and 18k solid gold.
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
beautiful, delicate pieces! I have an Uncle from Holland, he gave my aunt many Delft pieces, and as a child I was fascinated with the detailed scenes on the pieces. They're no longer living, but those Delft pieces are treasured by everyone in the family who was gifted a piece.
ReplyDeleteHaving a brother who's a potter I know the amount of work and expertise that goes into making these pieces. The tinier a ceramic piece is the harder it is to make!
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