Page 10 - Women Collectors and the Rise of the Porcelain Cabinet (Collecting history in Europe)

contained fewer pieces of porcelain or sometimes court she continued the practices developed by her
none at all, or whose chinoiserie character was no relatives from the House of Orange with regards to
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longer the dominant feature. The chinoiserie cabinet, architecture, interior decoration and art collecting.
whose main decorative elements had been porcelain In the six years prior to her death in 1695 she had a
and lacquer panels and just a few mirrors, made way formative effect on taste – conveyed above all by her
for opulent cabinets that gave priority to a certain rooms at Kensington Palace and Hampton Court.
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preferred material or combined a random mixture of Following her example, Asian porcelain also began
different components. Frequently, palaces now even to be collected on a large scale in England and the
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boasted more than one such room. style of presenting it in a concentrated form became
similarly popular. This overabundance occasioned
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Whereas the precious Asian porcelain was always Daniel Defoe to complain about ‘the custom [...] of
displayed in the state apartments, the equally furnishing houses with Chinaware [...] piling the
ubiquitous faience was presented in a number of China upon the tops of Cabinets, scritoires, and every
rooms that came into being at around the same time, Chimney Piece [...] 73
and were also popularised by the princesses of the
House of Orange. Nearly all pleasure palaces were Contemporaries were especially impressed by Mary’s
fi tted out with a grand kitchen, which was usually ‘Water Gallery’ at Hampton Court. A conversion of
located on the ground fl oor or in the basement. Its an old Tudor building, it was used as a private retreat
identity was defi ned by a cooking stove and tiled walls, and a gallery for housing her collections. Despite the
so that it was, in principle, usable; primarily, however, fact that it was demolished not long after her death,
it served to symbolise the housewifely virtues of the it continued to be mentioned in travel accounts years
respective princess. Its shelves were fi lled with costly later. The main room was redecorated with porcelain
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tableware made of copper, faience, and occasionally and paintings, including a gallery of ‘beauties’
of porcelain. Unlike in the state apartments, however, depicted by Sir Godfrey Kneller. A second room had
there was no demand for an Asian look; rather, such four cabinets extending from its four corners; these
rooms were regarded as typically Dutch and were were known as the ‘Looking Glass Closett’, ‘Marble
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consequently referred to as a ‘Dutch kitchen’. Closett’, ‘Bathing Closett’ and ‘Delft Ware Closett’.
In 1724 Da niel Defoe described it in glowing terms:
The situation was similar with regard to grand
bathrooms. Here, too, lining the walls with Her Majesty Queen Mary ... fi x’d upon a building
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blue-and-white Delft faience tiles was considered formerly made use of chiefl y for landing from the river,
and therefore call’d the Water Gallery; and here, as if she
th
particularly prestigious, although in the 18 century
had been conscious that she had but a few years to enjoy
the preference was to use not only Dutch tiles but also it, she order’d all the little neat curious things to be done,
those produced locally. It is noteworthy that many which suited her own conveniences, and made it the
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pleasantest little thing within doors that could possibly
of the palaces that possessed grand kitchens also had be made ... Her majesty had here a fi ne apart ment, with
bathing rooms, which were mostly associated with a sett of lodgings, for her private retreat only, but most
ex quisitely furnish’d; particularly a fi ne chints bed,
the ladies’ quarters. Finally, mention should also be
then a great curiosity; another of her own work, while
made of the tiled dining rooms, which were either in Holland, very magnifi cent, and several others; and
so-called ‘summer dining halls’ on the ground fl oor here was also her majesty’s fi ne col lection of Delft ware,
which indeed was very large and fi ne; and here was also a
or basement of a pleasure palace, or were combined vast stock of fi ne China ware, the like whereof was not to
with grottos, either inside the house, or as separate be seen in England; the long gallery, as above, was fi ll’d
with this china, and every other place, where it could be
architectural features in the garden. On account
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plac’d, with advantage.
of its rural character, faience tableware was usually
exhibited and used in such dining halls. The queen had here also a small bathing-room, made very
fi ne, suited either to hot or cold bathing, as the season
should invite; also a dairy, with all its conveniences, in
After Mary, Princess Royal of England was elevated which her majesty took great delight ... 76
to the rank of Queen Mary II in 1689 she brought
Dutch ideas on art collecting and palace decoration This clearly illustrates the division of the porcelain
back to Eng land with her. During her 11-year sojourn collection into various separate rooms. Mary
in the Netherlands she had adopted the country’s concentrated within a single building all the various
cultural triumphs and she greatly missed her previous types of porcelain rooms that had so far been
life when she returned to England. It is therefore developed: a porcelain-and-portrait gallery led into
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not surprising that on her arrival at the English a larger room which may have been the same as the

180 CHINESE AND JAP ANESE P ORCELAIN FOR THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE

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