Curator Susanne Groom on the replicas’ commission:
‘A few of Mary II’s original late 17th-century pots survive in the Royal Collection and some can still be seen at Hampton Court Palace in the King’s and Queen’s apartments.
They are extremely fragile and due to their age can no longer be used to display plants. This is why we commissioned the making of four replicas.
We commissioned the copy from Tichelaar, a pottery company in the Netherlands who have been making pottery from local clay and tin glazing since the 16th century.
It was such a big and complicated pot; it took two days to fire in the kiln and the first attempt cracked, so we had to start again.
The painting process was fascinating. It had to be completed quickly and though the paint appeared grey at first, after firing it turned a bright blue to match the original very well.
The replica looked fabulous when the palace gardeners brought flowers for it. Imagine it reflected in a mirror by candlelight…’
