Delft Blue Windmill Hanging

The Netherlands - The land of the windmills.

Dutch Windmill is one of the first things people recall about The Netherlands. It was said that the mills did not originate in Holland but had been introduced to Europe by the Middle East during the times of the Crusades. Windmills are said to have existed in Holland from about 1200.

There are a about 1150 remaining windmills in the Netherlands. The Dutch only counts complete workable mills, and to add to this number, many extensive rebuilds of the mills have occurred during the past ten years. All these must have produced an overwhelming and unforgettable impression on the Dutch themselves as well as on foreigners. To day we cannot imagine The Netherlands without the windmills.

Delft is synonymous with ceramics. Ceramics have been produced in the Netherlands for many centuries. It does not have to be Delft blue, it can be decorated with many different colours.

Decorative Delftware is amoung the most popular gifts and collectibles from the Netherlands. The hand-painted motif represents many different aspects of Dutch life and history.

I got this Delft Blue Windmill Hanging from Mr. Suthat Ungsuthornrungsi who is also one of my former supervisers. He brought several souvenirs for his subordinates when he visited the Netherlands. I chose this one because of the big Windmill. It has been in my collectibles for over 10 years.