De Blauwe Tulp, or The Blue Tulip, Delftware workshop and store next to the Nieuwe Kerk, was the…read morehighlight of my visit to Delft. Delft artists, inspired by Chinese porcelain brought in by trade ships, first made Delftware in the early 1600s, and this shop is part of Delft's artistic legacy. In the Netherlands, you will see lots of cheap, factory-made, not even 'made in Netherlands' fakes, but this place is the real thing. You can watch artists handpaint white ceramics with black cobalt oxide that turns blue in a super-hot kiln. An original piece is marked with a handpainted blue tulip in between the letters SR, the date, and the painter's initials. Yes, the pieces are a little pricey, but there were once over 30 potteries in Delft, and now there are only a few left, and The Blue Tulip is one of the only ones with entirely handmade ceramics. I visited on a miserable, cold, rainy winter day, and the people here were friendly, and the floor tiles were heated!
