Fashion & Costume
€ 490
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
This original antique print is in very good condition with only mild age toning around the edges, typical for prints of this period. The colors remain vivid and the paper shows no tears or foxing.
Dutch Folk Costume Print – Everyday Staphorst Dress with Children and Milkmaid, 1932
This finely printed chromolithograph from the early 20th century captures the vibrant traditional attire worn by women and children in Staphorst, a rural village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It forms part of a rare limited edition series documenting the regional costumes of the Netherlands with remarkable color accuracy and ethnographic detail.
The scene illustrates everyday dress in Staphorst, with a mother and two young girls depicted in typical weekday attire. The mother wears a dark red working skirt tied up over a blue checked apron, revealing an underskirt of scarlet baize. Her bodice, known locally as a kraplap, is made of a flowered cotton fabric in tones of black, green, and petunia. Over her shoulders rests a wooden yoke with two hanging milk-pails, a classic sight in Dutch pastoral life and a symbol of the region’s dairy culture. The pails, though utilitarian, were often brightly painted and added cheerful splashes of color to the countryside.
The children wear black sateen caps known as toet muts, with projecting peaks stuffed with flax or horsehair. Their silver oorijzers, traditional ear irons, pass over the top of the headdress and are fastened with black silk ribbons. Each child wears a red and white checked fichu scarf over a kraplap bodice and a skirt of homespun black and blue striped vijfschaft fabric, part of the distinctive Staphorst textile tradition. Blue ribbons and checked cotton accessories complete their cheerful outfits. One child wears black leather shoes with buckles, while the other wears the typical yellow Dutch clogs.
The tiled Delftware background, filled with charming blue Biblical or animal motifs, frames the figures with a domestic, folkloric charm that reinforces the homely yet ceremonial nature of the attire.
Condition: This antique chromolithograph is in very good condition with rich color retention and light age toning toward the margins. There are no tears or foxing visible on the image area. The paper remains strong and suitable for framing.
Framing recommendation: A simple frame in oak or a darker wood with a soft white or cream mount will bring out the warmth of the colors and the heritage appeal of the print. Consider museum-grade glass to preserve the pigments and prevent fading over time. A triptych display together with other plates from this series would make a striking wall feature.
