Willem Stuurman is recognized as a great artist in Dutch Pottery who was born in Amsterdam in 1908. He started pottery in 1922 at the age of 14 in the Quellinusschool ( Amsterdam ) by taking courses from Bert Nienhuis. In 1927 he began teaching at the Institute of Applied Art school in Amsterdam. In the period !928 – 1934 he worked as an artistic director in the pottery factories at Eskaf in Huizen, Kennemerland in Velsen, St lucas in Maarsseen and Zenith and Goedewaagen. He designed around 300 Art Deco potteries for Zenith and some of them went on to become famous.
Because of this, he left his mark on art around this period. From 1932 he worked as an independent ceramist. In 1938 he rediscovered the so-called “Royal Blue”. This was a blue glaze, used by the Egyptians around the time of the New Kingdom (c. 1567 BC). It was widely used for amulets and pottery, Ushabti ( funery figurines ) and beautiful objects. The knowledge of how to make these blue glazes had been lost.
![220px-165px-Egyptian-shabti-Lourve-Museum.jpg Lourve-Museum Egyptian-shabti](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/220px-Bm-shabti1.jpg)
The special feature of the ” King Blue ”was that when two objects such as a blue glazed” Delft “blue plate was placed alongside a plate in ” Royal Blue “, the ” Delft ” plate no longer looks blue but purple.
His first major international exhibition was in Boston, USA in 1938.
Also around that era in the Netherlands, all major cities had exhibitions of his work. He also taught pottery to Princess Beatrix. There were purchases of his ceramics made by Queen Wilhelmina and the Museum. Major assignments during that time, included a mosaic of eighteen square meters, various war memorials and murals in public buildings. He was a guest designer in 1940 at the Royal Glass Industry in Leerdam. In 1948 at the exhibition in Montreal his work was represented as the Dutch entry. After a lustrous career, he died in 1995 in Amersfoort in the Neverlands.
![448px-336px-delfsblauw.jpg bulbous white vase with blur flowers motifWillem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/517delfsblauw.jpg)
Willem Stuurman floral vase
![Willem-Stuurman-dutch-pottery-jug Willem Stuurman ceramic jug](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/92077.jpg)
Willem Stuurman jug
![Dutch-ceramics-Willem-Stuurman Black lidded vessel by Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/453-12.5d8.5h.jpg)
Black lidded jewellry box – Willem Stuurman
![Willem-Stuurman-red-vase Willem Stuurman crimson red vase](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/523rood-9h.jpg)
Ox blood red vase – Willem Stuurman
![288px-212px-stuurman_fruittes.jpg Matching green colour ceramic bowl and plate by Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/stuurman_fruittes.jpg)
Willem Stuurman
![Willem Stuurman-Zenith.jug Light blue Zenith jug by Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Zenith47-1931-1934.jpg)
Blue Zenith Jug – Willem Stuurman
1931-1934
![Arnhem-pottery-compote arnhem-pottery-300x287](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/arnhem-pottery-300x287.jpg)
Arnhem Pottery
![448px-336px-660sepia.jpg](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/660sepia.jpg)
Willem Stuurman jug
![Willem Stuurman-zwart.jpg Black art deco jug by by Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/479zwart-24h.jpg)
Art Deco Black jug – Willem Stuurman
![Willem Stuurman-groen-20h.jpg Dutch ceramicist Willem Stuurman turquoise jug](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/471groen-20h.jpg)
Turquoise jug – Willem Stuurman
![Willem-Stuurman-dutch-pottery Teal coloured art deco pitcher by Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Default.jpeg)
Teal Pitcher – Willem Stuurman
![bud-vase-Willem-Stuurman Ovoid vessel with abstract motif - Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/27-370-16_1.jpg)
Ovoid vase – Willem Stuurman
![Willem Stuurman-netherlands Willem Stuurman dish with abstract swirl motif](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/14-794-1_1932.jpg)
Dish with abstract motif – Willem Stuurman
1932
![Willem-Stuurman-dish Willem-Stuurman-dish-with flying white seagulls](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Willem-Stuurman-dish-with-white-birds.jpg)
Flying seagull plate – Willem Stuurman
![Willem-Stuurman-dutch-jug Willem Stuurman black jug with orange and white abstract motif](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/image2995.jpg)
Willem Stuurman Art Deco jug
A black and an orange pitcher – Willem Stuurman
![Willem-Stuurman-cup small ceramic vessel - Willem-Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3676.jpg)
Willem-Stuurman
![Willem-Stuurman-green-dish Teal dish by Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/il_570xN.293458868.jpg)
Willem Stuurman
![473px-419px--willem-stuurman-vaas.jpg Zenith jug in red, black and yellow by Willem Stuurman](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/11856-willem-stuurman-vaas.jpg)
Zenith Vase designed by Willem Stuurman
![Willem-Stuurman-Marktplaats.nl.jpg Willem Stuurman small creamer](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Marktplaats.nl-Art-Deco-Frans-van-Katwijk-Aardewerken-Kan-Antiek-en-Kunst-Antiek-Vazen.png)
Willem Stuurman ceramic creamer
![225px-379px-Stuurman_Love_Couple1924.jpg](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Stuurman_Love_Couple1924Ste.jpg)
” Love Couple “ by Willem Stuurman
1924
( Stedelijk Museum )
![225px-175px-stuurman002.jpg Willem Stuurman red jug and sugar bowl on a red tray](https://www.veniceclayartists.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/stuurman002.jpg)
Red creamer and sugar bowl, tray
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