BERBAS VASE

De Porceleyne Fles, Joost Thooft & Labouchere, Delft, Holland, 1900

Grey-body creamware coated with turquoise green, off-pink, and anthracite drip glaze.

H: 18 cm

Markings: Factory mark (a vase) on base in smoky blue, “JT” ligature, “Delft”, engraved JR and factory sticker

printed “J. T. & L. DELFT” in black with XII. inscribed in black

UMP 9538

De Porceleyne Fles - Joost Thooft & Labouchere unveiled drip-glazed vases under the trade name Berbas in 1892. Chemist Gerrit Offermans was the primary contributor to the development of the special painting technique; the unusual undulating vase forms are the work of in-house designer Adolf le Comte.

The collection of Berbas vases were purchased at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris together with other products by De Porceleyne Fles, whose gallery exhibit was awarded the Grand Prix at the expo. The Berbas vases contributed greatly to this award, as they were among the most successful and popular products at the time. Berbas remained in production up until the early 1940s.

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