The current fascination with early twentieth-century design makes this exploration of Art Deco and Art Nouveau ceramics from the Netherlands both exciting and timely. Encompassing earthenware, porcelain and stoneware products produced between circa 1890 and 1940, the objects presented here range from hand-crafted artisanal works to factory-made vases, bowls, and dinner and tea services. Complementary texts outline the development and history of the vast ceramics collection of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, from which these objects are drawn, and compare ceramics from the Netherlands with those from other European countries and North America. The history of the ceramics factory is discussed alongside the oeuvre of artisan potters. This catalogue is the first in a series devoted to the museum's ceramics collection, which contains a wide time-span of objects from the four corners of the world.