Royal Tichelaar Makkum

The artistic creation of authentic Makkumer ceramics begins underground, close to the Frisian village of Sopsum. The fertile clay soil around the hamlet is rich in chalk, originating ages ago in the White Cliffs of Dover, brought to the continent by the sea. Royal Tichelaar Makkum is the only Dutch pottery firm still using clay from its own land.




     

Royal Makkumer ceramics embody a tradition of craftsmanship dating back to the company's founding in 1594; every piece is modeled by the hands of a professional. It is the small variations, inseparable from handiwork, that distinguish these products from mass-produced imitations. The centuries-old majolica method involves painting on the unfired tin-glaze; the formulas for the glaze and paints are strict secrets of the Tichelaar family, passed on from generation to generation.

  

The decorative designs are exclusively done by hand. First, after a bisque fire, the outlines are painted with a very fine brush called a "trekker," followed by the filling-in of color with another, slightly less fine brush, called a "dieper" before the final high-gloss firing. With its rich and fascinating history, Royal Tichelaar Makkum is the oldest business in The Netherlands. Visit www.tichelaar.nl.