Passion and fashion in Dyrham's Delft pyramid vases

In place of porcelain
During the first half of the 17th century, affluent Europeans developed an insatiable demand for Chinese porcelain. But due to dynastic instability in China, the export of porcelain came to virtual halt for more than three decades.
Delft faience, with its distinctive cobalt blue decoration, emulated the appearance of Chinese porcelain, temporarily filling the demand for this highly prized import. Samuel Johnson described it as ‘counterfeit China ware’.
In England, the trend for pyramid vases was set by the court of Mary II and her Dutch husband William of Orange. During her years in the Netherlands, Mary had developed a passion for Delft faience and aspiring courtiers purchased these extravagant status symbols as evidence of their loyalty.
By the 1690s, faience of all kinds - including urns, jars, bottles, as well as pyramid vases - were coveted by England's elite consumers to furnish their tables, bedchambers and china cabinets.
