Buying Delft Blue Christmas ornaments at The Christmas Shop
A Delft Blue Christmas ornament is a figurative porcelain hanger painted in the recognisable cobalt blue on a white base. Our shop sits in the centre of Delft itself, the city where the style was born in the 17th century. That means the three big names in this craft are all under one roof: Heinen Delfts Blauw, Royal Delft, and the Indigo collection by Kurt S. Adler. You will find dachshunds, canal houses, teapots, herring dishes, and even Miffy, all in the same blue.
Figurative rather than round
The difference between a bauble and an ornament comes down to shape. Our Delft Blue baubles are classic round Christmas balls, while the ornaments take any form the painter imagines. A lying stag with a blue back. A bird on a clip. A cabinet, a chicken, a windmill in miniature. Each one tells a small Dutch story. Pair them with blue or gold Christmas branches and the tree turns into a little museum.
Heinen Delfts Blauw
Heinen Delfts Blauw is the best known name in modern hand painted Delft Blue. Each piece is still painted by hand in a workshop in Delft. In our shop you will find their dachshunds, unicorns, gnomes, stars, and decorative dishes. The brush strokes are fine, the blue runs deep. These are the pieces to start with if you want a calm, traditional Delft Blue tree, built around matching baubles and finished with playful figures.
Royal Delft and the Miffy series
Royal Delft has been firing porcelain in this city since 1653, making it one of the oldest active potteries in the Netherlands. Their Christmas ornaments are small versions of the pieces in their museum: the knobble vase, the jug, the tulip vase, the herring dish. The series with Miffy by Dick Bruna is particularly loved. Miffy appears with stars, on skis, and on a sled, all dressed in cobalt blue. A favourite gift for design lovers and Miffy fans alike.
The Indigo collection by Kurt S. Adler
Kurt S. Adler is an American brand from New York, but their Indigo collection feels thoroughly Dutch. Delft Blue gets translated into a pig, a cow, a chicken, a Santa in a blue robe, a canal house, a nutcracker. It is the playful side of the tradition. Perfect if you want your tree to have a bit of humour next to the more formal pieces from Heinen Delfts Blauw and Royal Delft.
