Two names are inextricably linked to the history of the Haagse Plateelbakkerij Rozenburg, the former pottery factory in The Hague, that of the decorative artist Theodoor Colenbrander and the architect Jurriaan Kok. Both brought eternal fame to Rozenburg, each in his own manner: Colenbrander with his colourful, idiosyncratic designs and Kok through his delicately painted, eggshell porcelain. A greater contrast between the two can hardly be imagined and this observation instantly reflects something of the entire chequered history of the factory. In fact, the factory's hugely successful periods accredited to the two men were so brief as to be in no way illuminative of Rozenburg's thirty-years existence.
This book not only recalls the glory years and top pieces but gives just as much attention to the lean years, the missed chances and Rozenburg's other range of products like tiles and tile paintings. The factory was also the darling of man-of-letters Carel Vosmaer, artist Hendrik Mesdag and other painters of The Hague School. This was the pottery factory that worked closely with The Hague Academy of Art, the factory where artist Jan Toorop liked to go and work with the creamy clay and where numerous architects ordered the tiles for their buildings.
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