Tankard

Mrs. Mary Hooper, whose name is painted on the front, was probably the original owner of this tankard, which was most likely presented to her on a special occasion.

What could have been a professional setback for Christian Wilhelm became a fortuitous opportunity. He arrived in London in 1604 from Holland intending to manufacture smalt, a blue cobalt dye, but an existing monopoly on its production foiled his plans. The first European arrivals of Chinese blue and white porcelain in Amsterdam, however, provided Wilhelm's next venture. As the demand for porcelain quickly surpassed the supply, Wilhelm swiftly began producing white, tin-glazed earthenware decorated with his cobalt blue. In 1628 he was granted the first patents in England to produce tin-glazed earthenware, often called delftware for its associations with the Dutch town Delft. The Chinese porcelains also provided inspiration for the birds, insects and floral motifs of Wilhelm's designs.