Koperen huwelijk van koningin Juliana en prins Bernhard, 1949 1949 - 1950

This commemorative plate was made in 1949 by De Porceleijne Fles to celebrate the copper wedding anniversary of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. It's such a lovely example of Delftware, with that iconic blue and white palette. The texture is smooth and cool to the touch. The blue lines are applied with a delicate hand, each one a slightly different width, giving the piece a handmade feel. I really love how the artist has embraced the slight imperfections of the medium. There's a kind of honesty in showing the mark making process. When I look at the back of the plate, at that little curlicue next to the Delft mark, I see a gesture that speaks to the wider conversation between artists across time. Just like a painter adds a signature to their work, that mark is a reminder that art is always a dialogue. You can almost see the artists hand as they made the marks. It reminds us that art is a process, an ongoing experiment and a conversation.