Rare Painted Demijohn is Truly a Dutch Treat

By Ralph Finch

Among the dozen (two dozen?) things we like to collect are rare museum-quality painted demijohns. How rare? Over the last ten years we have amassed only fourteen, purchased from most of the important U.S. glass dealers, and a pair from an auction house in Belgium which both survived being shipped across the ocean.

Two years ago we were willing to go up to $14,000 for an absolutely awesome and very large demijohn with several ships in full battle, cannons firing, with two ships aflame. With a $14,000 budget, we thought maybe we had a chance, until we asked Jim Hagenbuch how much he was willing to bid. His answer, “Until I got it!”

But it got worse. We already knew it had a crack, but before the auction was over, it looked like someone at the Chicago firm had tried to bounce a brick off it, almost shattering one side. Sigh.

But, in late October, at an antiques website called “1stdibs.com,” a firm located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, offered the 17-inch high demijohn shown here. The description said: “Beautiful Dutch Demijohn. Hand-blown; with naval battle scene. Portrait of Dutch admiral *Maarten Tromp, ‘The bravest and most skillful enemy then known to the English navy.’ Rare museum quality, circa 1750-90. Origin: Holland.”

At the end it added, “Make an offer.” Since even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in awhile, we Finch nuts thought we would offer $4,000. How did we do? The antique firm replied with $20,000! Hmmmm. Close but … Anyone got a painted demijohn at a waaaaay lower price? Just email rfinch@twmi.rr.com.

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FYI: Wikipedia added (edited): *Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp (also written as Maerten Tromp; April 23, 1598 to August 10 1653, (killed in the Battle of Scheveningen). He was a Dutch army general and admiral in the Dutch navy.

“Born in Brill, Tromp was the oldest son of Harpert Maertensz, a naval officer and captain of the frigate Olifantstromp (“Elephant Trunk”). The name Tromp most probably derives from the name of the ship; it first appeared in 1607.

“His mother supplemented the family’s income as a washerwoman. At the age of nine, Tromp went to sea with his father, and he was present in a squadron covering the Dutch main fleet fighting the Battle of Gibraltar in 1607.

“In 1610, after his father’s discharge because of a navy reorganization, the Tromps were on their way to Guinea on their merchantman when they were attacked by a squadron of seven ships under command of English pirate Peter Easton. During the fight, Tromp’s father was slain by a cannonball. According to legend, the 12-year-old boy rallied the crew with the cry, “Won’t you avenge my father’s death?” The pirates seized him and sold him on the slave market of Salé. Two years later, Easton was moved by pity and ordered his redemption. “Tromp went to sea again at 19, briefly working for the navy, but he was captured again in 1621 after having rejoined the merchant fleet, this time by Barbary corsairs off Tunis. He was kept as a slave until the age of 24.

“During the First Anglo-Dutch War of 1652-53, Tromp commanded the Dutch fleet in the battles of Dover, Dungeness, Portland, the Gabbard and Scheveningen. In the latter, he was killed by a sharpshooter in the rigging of William Penn’s ship.” (Penn? Yep, the very same founder of Pennsylvania.)

Now that I’ve learned all that history, $20,000 for the demijohn does seem to be a fair price.

The renowned 17th century Dutch admiral Maerten Tromp, ‘The bravest and most skillful enemy then known to the English navy.’

RIGHT: A close look of one of the ships involved in the battle.

FOREGROUND: THE $20,000 demijohn offered by the antiques website 1stdibs.com. BACKGROUND: WIlliam Penn aboard his ship WELCOME with settlers on the way to America.