Little is known about Jan Theunis Dextra. He was probably already married when he settled in Delft, because the marital status gives us only one entry and this entry qualifies him as a widower. This is Tacte of his marriage, on the date of November 3rd, 1783, to a young girl from Delfshaven, named Elisabeth Hoek (HL.Nr. 66). Fortunately, the documents related to his ceramic career are more numerous. Nicknamed the young Dextra, to distinguish him from Zacharias Dextra, his father, he appears with this nickname on the list of pottery backers drawn up in 1769. At that time he was the owner of the Greek A factory, and in 1764 he registered his trademark, which included a number with a small D above it. On display are two almost identical oval shell-shaped contoured saucers in Delft faience. They are hand-painted with a beautiful blue and white decor, the cobalt blue underglaze. The decor is a so-called chinoiserie, based on Kangxi Chinese porcelain. In the center of the shelf we see a round cartouche in which a pagoda surrounded by foliage. Externally on the shelf, the transition and border there are four four-lobed recesses with a house surrounded by horizontal stripes. In between we see a kind of network in lighter blue. On the edge there are also four three-lobed cartouches containing some kind of Chinese symbol. The border is left white. The back is gilded with an unglazed low foot in the center. In the center these saucers are marked in underglaze blue with the letter “D” including a horizontal stripe and the number “7”. This is one of the hallmarks for Jan Theunis Dextra de Jongere, who was employed and later also director of the manufacturer De Greek A from 1759 to 1765. These saucers can therefore be dated around 1760-65.

Condition: excellent, very light edge fritting (normal for faience). Price : 1200 €