“In ’t midden van de zaal daar stond een gueridon,
Op ’t zelve een keteltje, zo blank gelijk een zon.
’t Trekpotje was bekleed met zuiver zilverlaken,
Opdat geen vogt het goud van ’t lofwerk zou mismaaken
Waar meed het was beleid; de schoteltjes in ’t rond
Van onder net beplakt met zagte stukjes bont,
Uit vrees dat ’t porcelein het lakwerk mogte schaaren,
Van ’t lief japansche-blad, ’t geen ruste op drie pylaaren
Van sakredaan, kaneel en pik-zwart ebbenhout.
Het schenken van de thee werd juffrouw Rois vertrouwt,
Die evenwigtig thee met water wist te mengen.”
(In the middle of the hall there stood a table
Upon which was a small kettle, bright as the sun.
The teapot was covered with pure silver cloth
So that no liquid would deface the gold from the ornamentation
With which it was covered; the small saucers around it
Pasted underneath with soft furry cloth, so that
The porcelains might not scratch the lacquer
From the pretty Japanese tray, which rested on a tripod
Of sacredaan, cinnamon and jet-black ebony.
The pouring of the tea was trusted to Miss Rois,
Who knew how to mix tea and water properly.)

Thus we see that the tea-table was firmly established as a social institution in Holland by the middle of the seventeenth century, and porcelain was an important factor in interior decoration long before Dutch William drove the Stuarts out of England. A Dutch inventory of the time of the Glorious Revolution (1689) is worth citation for the sake of illustrating the prevailing taste and the price of porcelain of the day:

Statement and inventory of the contents and the goods of Dirck van Kessel and Chrestina de Ridder, left without owner by the aforesaid Chrestina de Ridder by her death on the 15th of January of this year 1689

In the Porcelain Room.
 
FLORINS.
Two porcelain “beguine” pots 150
One porcelain chamber-pot with cover 6
One porcelain box, without cover 6
Three porcelain preserve pots 120
Four large porcelain bowls 30
One high pyramidal shaped water jug 12
Two porcelain fruit dishes 15
A jug with a silver lid 10
A porcelain box with lid 12
One porcelain cover 10
One porcelain pot with handles 4
Two porcelain crackle bowls 10
Four porcelain boxes 10
A little stewing pot 10
Two porcelain teapots 6
One porcelain sexagonal pot 20
Two porcelain printed oil pots 10
One porcelain stewing pan coloured, without cover 18
One porcelain apple pot 30
Two porcelain crackle jars (one broken) 15
Two long porcelain boxes 5
Two porcelain “beguine” pots 30
Four porcelain boxes with covers 15
Four butter dishes 6
Twenty-four porcelain teacups with covers 48
An East India box with a bamboo 10
Thirteen (with inside decoration) 13
Two porcelain bottles with French flowers 60
Five porcelain butter dishes on the back yellow and green 10
Thirteen coloured tea-saucers (one broken) 8
Two porcelain cups with knobs on the covers 6
Three large East India teapots 24
Four little East India teapots 6
Four old porcelain stewing pots 40
Five old long shaped bottles, one of which is in pieces 30
Four porcelain boxes that can be shut (with covers) 20
Eleven little porcelain pieces 5
Two little candlesticks with extinguishers 16
Two round shaped oblong bottles, one of which is in pieces 15
Three porcelain small plaques 8
Six porcelain dinner plates 12
Eight porcelain printed red dishes 12
Two pots with Chinese acrobats 18
Two pots with French scrolls 24
Two old porcelain bottles with a cover 15
Four porcelain pots with overlapping covers 48
Five porcelain swans 5
Eighteen porcelain cups, red, with one blue 12
Forty porcelain yellow cups 12
Four porcelain slop basins 12
Fifty porcelain coffee saucers 30
Three porcelain sexagonal pin-trays 8
Five porcelain pieces, red and blue 3
Two old inscription bowls 16
Two porcelain bowls with birds on branches 20
One porcelain rosemary bowl 8
Three porcelain coloured starch basins 6
One porcelain “beguine” pot with a delft cover 16
One porcelain sexagonal pot 10
One porcelain chain pot 10
One porcelain pot with a bottle 8
One porcelain bottle with Chinese 30
One porcelain “beguine” pot, with handles 30
One porcelain four-square “beguine” pot 6
Three Persian basins 8
Seven porcelain butter dishes 21
One porcelain, broken, open-work tray 2
Three porcelain mustard pots, with a perforated cover 8
Eight candlesticks  
Two porcelain butter dishes 21
One porcelain slop basin, one starch basin, and one crackle jar 5
Six porcelain printed cups 8
Three porcelain printed saucers 4
Twenty-one porcelain printed coffee cups 10
Ten coloured East India tea-saucers, cups with ducks painted on them 20
Two Japanese beakers 50
One East India beaker with Chinese letters 30
One East India beaker with pieces 12
One pot with a jardinière 20
One Chinese pot 30
 
China Closet near the Windows.
 
Five East India half-size wash basins 70
Five East India basins 40
Five East India basins 50
Five East India basins 46
Three old porcelain dishes 30
Three double butter dishes 20
Three East India round dishes, in three parts, with flower pots 30
One East India round dish, in three parts, with flower pot and stork 12
One engraved tumbler 20
Seven porcelain crackle bowls 24
Two old porcelain pots 15
One porcelain beaker with a crack. 10
Twenty-four brown bottles 15
Four porcelain boxes with covers 12
One porcelain basin and mustard pot without cover 3
Two porcelain salt cellars, with two mustard pots 12
Twelve teacups and saucers 48
Four porcelain perforated cups 15
Six porcelain perforated cups 18
Six porcelain perforated cups  
Two East India slop basins with storks 10
Eight little old porcelain saucers 16
Six porcelain saucers with dragons 12
Six old porcelain saucers with frogs 18
Nine old porcelain saucers with handles 36
Two slop bowls 6
Six old porcelain cups 6
Two porcelain crackle bottles 30
Three porcelain breakers 30
Three old porcelain dishes in three parts 10
Five old porcelain mustard holders 18
Seven old porcelain mustard holders 10
Five great deep saucers 20
Two porcelain blue bowls 12
Two porcelain blue small bottles 3
One porcelain new dish 4
Two porcelain butter dishes 8
Six porcelain butter dishes 15
Three porcelain butter dishes 6
Six porcelain deep saucers 12
One hundred teacups and saucers. 200
One East India mat with three Chinese figures 4
 
Upstairs in the Front Room.
Three pestles with flowers 40
Two printed cups 2
 
Upstairs in the Rear Room.
Two “beguine” pots with landscapes 70
One East India “beguine” pot with Chinese 16
Two printed small bottes 40
Two small bottles with Chinese 25
Six teacups and saucers 15
One bottle with a small bird on a tree 10
Three butter dishes 20
Six little old small bottles 8
Six little old boxes with covers 8
Two teacups 6
Six dragon cups 6
Three flat saucers 4
Four coloured ribbed dishes or saucers 6
Six teacups and tea-saucers 15
Six dishes with a box cover 8
Two small baskets and two shelves 6
The porcelain on the shelves 12
 
In the Vestibule.
The porcelain in the shop, comprising thirteen pieces 24
 
In the Porcelain Room.
Firstly, an olive wood carved cabinet 250
One gilt and engraved jewel casket 50
One olive wood table with stands 25

“Now follows a collection of large mirrors, which we consider of less importance. Of more interest is the following:

  FLORINS.
148 sheets and one half of gold leather, being white and gold, valued at 23 stuivers the sheet 170·15
The pine-apple with colours (decoration), 44 sheets, valued at 52·16
61 sheets, the unicorn green and gold 70
80 sheets of gold leather 40
42 ditto 42
1 lot of remnants, leather 30
1 lot of patterns and friezes 100
8 screens 130
2 curtains and balance and the gold leather that hangs in the kitchen in the rear 9

“Hereafter follows again some porcelain and other articles, as—

  FLORINS.
8 painted figures 40
2 broken roll wagons (round shaped bottles) 24
1 porcelain stewing pan 12
2 half-size wash basins 24
2 ditto 16
2 porcelain bowls 4
6 porcelain cups with a broken wash jug and a broken roll wagon 4
1 delft stewing pot 4
6 gold leather chairs 20
1 clavecin 4
1 bundle of old gold leather 20
1 large cup engraved with a battle scene and a large cup with a vine 30”

The value of porcelain may be gathered from the pieces mentioned in the inventory of Joh. Gemeelenbrouck, “meester silversmith,” in 1653:

GUILDER. STUIVER.
In the shop 48  
Four whole lamps    
Sixteen half lamps 56  
Sixteen round dishes in three parts 40  
Four double butter dishes 6  
Forty-five cornered butter dishes 33 15
One round shaped oblong bottle 6  
Five “beguine” pots 30  
Nine “beguine” pots (small) 22 10
Three drinking cups 4 10
Four drinking cups (small) 2 8
Three beakers 3 15
Three bottles 4  
Three large bottles 18  
Five mustard pots 3 15
Four wine cans 16  
Four chamber-pots 10  
Twenty-four parrot basins 24  
Forty-four cups and saucers 15 4
Two cups and saucers 2  
Four oil pots 2 8
Ten snuff boxes 10 10
Seventy-five mustard pots 29  
Twenty-five deep saucers 16  
Three boxes with lids 3  
Four deep saucers 2 8
Five red pots 0 15