Drucker Vase, anonymous, c. 1700
porcelain with enamel colours, h 48.1cm × w 14.2cm More details
French 19th-century connoisseurs devised the system of 'familles', or families, to denote various kinds of porcelain. Pieces in which green predominates, for example, are called 'famille verte'. Around 1900 'famille noire', with a black background, was the most prized type and very expensive. The collector J.C.J. Drucker donated this pair of vases to the Rijksmuseum in 1928 to mark Queen Mother Emma's 70th birthday. They have since become known by his name.
