A pair of Dutch Delft blue and white seated dogs, 18th C.

H.: 20 cm

Provenance:
- A Dutch private collection.
- Sold in these rooms, Feb. 3, 2018, lot 294. (link)
- A Dutch private collection.
- With Aronson antiquairs, Amsterdam, published in 'Dutch Delftware', Amsterdam, 2006, p. 56, no. 41 (see added reference images).
- The Meijer Lavino collection, each with a label on the base.

The Lavino Collection, one of the world’s largest and most important private collections of Dutch Delftware, was built by steel magnate Meijer Lavino, who died in 2005. This unique collection includes almost the entire range of wares produced by Delft potters between 1660 and 1820.
Meijer Lavino (Rotterdam, 1937 – Antwerp, 2005) was the only child of Jewish parents. In 1964 he and Jo de Jong set up De Jong & Lavino, steel suppliers. In addition to his love of clocks, romantic paintings and rugs, between 1980 and 2002 he devoted himself with great passion to collecting Dutch delftware. He bought a wide-ranging and varied selection of Dutch delftware and was also intrigued by pairs and complete sets. Besides the variation in forms, he also collected Delftware featuring all the decorative techniques, from white and blue-and-white to multicoloured and pastel shades with gilding. He had a remarkable eye for the best-quality pieces. To ensure he purchased the best available, Lavino surrounded himself with Dutch delftware experts, and he could also rely on the support of his wife Paula Lavino-Ridderhof.
A large part of the collection was kept together and loaned out to the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag on a long-term loan, where it has been on display between August 2019 and March 2020.