Estonia’s largest private collection of Delftware to be exhibited for the first time at the Mikkel Museum

On 28 March, the Mikkel Museum will open the exhibition Delft Blue: Ceramic Treasures from a Private Collection, offering a unique glimpse into the ceramic world of the collector Heikki Pauts.

The professional archaeologist Heikki Pauts has built up the bulk of his collection over 20 years living in the Netherlands, where it began as a dream: I wish I could get at least one original Delftware item! The private collection now comprises nearly 200 ceramic pieces, the earliest of which date from the early 17th century. The collection’s overall focus has remained on Delft ceramics produced between the 17th and 19th centuries. Although the collector has now been living in Estonia for several years, his interest in Delft ceramics and his dedication to it continue to grow.

The collection on display is exceptional in its diversity and the wide range of factories represented, offering visitors an excellent overview of the golden age of Delft pottery. One of the most special items in the display is a rare plate painted by Frederik van Frijtom, one of the few Delft masters known by name, whose work can be compared to that of the Netherlands’ famous landscape painters.

According to Aleksandra Murre, Director of the Mikkel Museum, the display of Delftware in the museum has been carefully thought out: “The exhibition Delft Blue is in close thematic dialogue with the display of the Johannes Mikkel collection on the museum’s second floor, which showcases the Chinese and Japanese porcelain that served as a model for the Delft masters, and complements the exhibition with two further examples of Delft ceramics: a pair of large vases produced at the De Twee Scheepjes (Two Little Ships) factory.”

In the 17th century, the city of Delft in the Netherlands witnessed the rise of an unprecedented success story in the ceramics industry, a remarkable chapter in both the history of ceramics and, more broadly, European cultural history. Initially, the aim was to replicate Chinese porcelain, which seemed distant, inaccessible and exotic to European consumers; however, thanks to the rapid attainment of a high level of technical mastery, Delftware became a phenomenon in its own right, one that remains highly prized to this day.

To accompany the exhibition, a richly illustrated book entitled Delft Blue: Delftware in the 17th–19th Centuries will be published; this is the first comprehensive overview of Delft pottery to be published in Estonian.

The exhibition is accompanied by a varied public programme, featuring both lectures by experts in various fields and creative workshops led by the museum’s education curators.

The exhibition Delft Blue: Ceramic Treasures from a Private Collection will remain open at the Mikkel Museum until 22 November 2026.

Curators: Heikki Pauts and Aleksandra Murre
Exhibition design: Mae Kivilo
Graphic design: Kätlin Tischler-Süld