Delft – Coronation Charger of William III and Mary II, circa 1689–1690

Coronation Charger of William III and Mary II
Delft, circa 1689–1690

Tin-glazed earthenware, painted in underglaze blue with confronted half-length portraits of King William III and Queen Mary II beneath draped curtains, both wearing crowns. Below the portraits is an abbreviated inscription  “K[oning] W[illem], M[aria] K[oning]IN (King William and Queen Mary.
The broad rim is decorated with a scrolling foliate border, characteristic of late seventeenth-century Delftware and reflecting the influence of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain.

This charger was produced to commemorate the coronation of William III and Mary II on 11 April 1689, following the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The accession of the Dutch Stadtholder to the English throne was celebrated throughout the Dutch Republic, and the Delft potteries responded with a remarkable series of commemorative wares.

Based on contemporary engraved royal portraits, they are among the most important examples of Dutch commemorative Delftware. Coronation chargers of William III and Mary II are represented in major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Dutch Royal Collection.