The decline of the Ming dynasty following the death of the Wanli Emperor negatively impacted Sino-Dutch trade, including earthenware, to the extent that Dutch merchants decided the only solution was to produce such objects locally.

One such manufacturer was David Anthonisz van der Pieth, who founded De Porceleyne Fles ("the Porcelain Bottle") in 1653.

Delftware ranged from simple household items – plain white earthenware with little or no decoration – to fancy artwork.

Competition from the European porcelain industry, however, was fierce and by 1840, De Porceleyne Fles was the last factory remaining, all other competitors having ceased operations.

Together with Leo Senf, he worked to modernise operations and produce products that would be able to compete with European manufacturers.