by Debbie Rix
Beatrice had known Thomas all her life. Her parents’ home and workshop was only four streets away from Pieter Van Vaerwye’s large and distinguished home. He lived next door to his brother Jacob. The three families spent a great deal of time together; birthdays and holidays were always spent in the one another’s company. It was fortunate that they all lived in large houses with grand drawing rooms where the young people could dance and mix easily. At least once a month, there was a party of some kind – a birthday, or a christening, or, as the children grew up, an engagement or wedding.
Beatrice had always liked Thomas. He was different from his brothers and sisters. They were all very outgoing and liked to play practical jokes on one another; they appeared to find life endlessly amusing. Thomas was quieter and a little shy. He was also the most academic of Pieter’s five children. It was thought that he had inherited his intelligence from Pieter’s younger brother Henryk, who was a Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven; he worked alongside the humanist Desiderius Erasmus, who went on to found the Collegium Trilingue at the University for the study of Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
Beatrice and Thomas sought each other out at these family gatherings. They were often to be found huddled together in deep conversation. Beatrice, too, was a thoughtful girl. She was well read, artistic and musical. She had inherited her great grandmother Maria’s turquoise eyes and dark hair. She was considered a beauty in Antwerp and many young men were disappointed when her engagement to Thomas was announced.
It was not uncommon for first cousins to marry at that time, and permission was happily given on both sides of the family. It would unite them even further, bringing the importers of porcelain and the maiolica potters into close alliance.
Thomas had no skills as a potter; he was an intellectual, not an artisan. His father and uncle had planned that he should take over the family import business. He had a fine mathematical brain and would be more than capable of managing the accounts. The work held little interest for him, but he could see that his future had been mapped out. A gentle young man, he did not argue or protest. He knew that it would be pointless. He would have preferred an academic life like his uncle’s, but with a young wife to support, he followed his father Pieter into the import and export trade.
Beatrice’s mother made her a gift of the Ming vase on her wedding day.
‘It has been handed down through the generations, Beatrice, from mother to daughter. I was given it on the eve of my wedding,’ said Maria Margret. ‘My mother was given the vase by her mother. You are the fourth in line to inherit it. I hope it brings you good luck; that is the myth that surrounds it. The dragon is the symbol of good luck in China, and he has been lucky for me.’
The young couple settled into their home in Antwerp, close to the central market and cathedral.They were happy enough. The house was large and there was a garden where Beatrice liked to sit on sunny days. Her husband was attentive and gentle. He worked hard and learned the family business. He did not relish the prospect of travelling, but one of his brothers took on that role. What Thomas excelled at was strategic thinking; he could spot gaps in the market; he understood how the political situation affected his business; he was diplomatic and people trusted him; he made sound decisions and the business thrived.
Beatrice quickly became pregnant. But she lost two children before their son, Heinrich, was born weighing just a few pounds. He cried so lustily at his birth that Beatrice was confident he would survive.
Beatrice had another son and then, after the loss of a daughter, to hear joy she gave birth to a second daughter. They named her Clara. She was small and dainty, with dark hair and her mother’s bright blue eyes.
Their business went from strength to strength. Antwerp was the centre of international trade at that time and the family’s wealth grew. Thomas traded with merchants from Portugal and Spain, importing porcelain, of course, but also sugar from Spanish and Portuguese plantations in South America and the Indies. Created on the backs of slave labour transported from Africa like heads of cattle, each man chained and lying head to toe with the next as if in coffins, they were taken to the sugar plantations in Brazil and the Indies. Sugar became the most significant commodity brought into the port of Antwerp and helped to make it the most important port in northern Europe. From Antwerp, the sugar was transported to sugar refineries in Germany, primarily in Cologne.
Antwerp, along with the rest of the cities of the Low Countries, was under the control of King Philip of Spain. He demanded high taxes from the wealthy merchants and over time they became impatient and eager to throw off the yoke of the Hapsburg Empire. Merchants like Thomas were educated and intelligent. They had vast wealth, and their knowledge of the world through trade had given them a profound insight into other cultures. Into this mix came the protestant religion, fanned out from Germany and Switzerland by Martin Luther and John Calvin. Appalled by the Roman Catholic Church’s increasingly corrupt practices such as the sale of indulgences, these men were determined to bring the Christian faith back to its origins. With its emphasis on cleanliness, modesty, frugality and hard work, the Protestant faith began to take a foothold in the Netherlands, and Thomas was one of its earliest devotees. It appealed to his puritanical and intellectual nature. The idea that his relationship with God required the intercession of a priest had always irked him. He would rather make his own peace with God. He did not need absolution, especially one granted by a priest who might be corrupt.
In 1568 the people of the Netherlands rose up in revolt against Spanish control under the banner of William I of Orange. This was the start of the Eighty Years War, which ultimately would lead to the complete transformation of the Netherlands and the demise of its most important city, Antwerp.
The following fifteen years were challenging for the population of Antwerp. As the angry citizens demonstrated their anger at the Spanish, mob rule often broke out. Beatrice in particular was fearful as she did her best to bring their children up in this divided city. It seemed far removed from the city of her youth. She often thought back to the peaceful times she spent in the garden of her parent’s home on Kammenstraat.
But now Beatrice often woke in the night to see flaming torches flickering through the latticed windows of their home as unruly gangs rampaged around the city. At such times, she would pace the bedroom, praying that God would save the family from harm. She even brought the Ming vase up to their bedchamber for safekeeping in case the mob broke into their home; she hid it in a cupboard in the corner of her bedroom. When at night her fear became overwhelming, she would get out of bed and take the vase out of the cupboard, stroking its cool porcelain exterior, as if by touching it she could invoke its magical powers.
One night Thomas was woken by shouts and screams in the road below. He sat up in bed and watched his wife tenderly touching the vase, beseeching the dragon for help.
‘To whom do you pray, Beatrice?’ he asked, startling her.
‘Thomas, I had no idea you were awake.’
‘I imagine I was woken, as you were, by that unruly mob outside. To whom do you pray? To God – or some magical, mythical figure?’
‘I know you disapprove; I know to you it is heresy. But allow me a little belief. This vase has kept our family safe for many years. I simply seek a little comfort. I am fearful, Thomas, of what may become of us. How can we bring the children up in this dangerous place?’
‘Come back to bed, Beatrice. All will be well. I have a plan for how we will escape Antwerp. You will see. You will not need to seek help from the vase.’
Chapter Nineteen
Amsterdam, 1580
Thomas supported the rebellion of the Prince of Orange. Over many years he and other merchants donated huge sums of money to the cause. But when Philip II of Spain threatened to blockade the port of Antwerp, Thomas made an important decision. He sold his house and moved the entire family to Amsterdam. If Spain was intent on destroying their independence and ability to trade, merchants l
ike him would establish themselves in a city where they would be at liberty to continue with their business and free of religious persecution. Over sixty thousand people fled north to the fishing port of Amsterdam.
The wealth of Amsterdam in the 1580s was centred on two main imports: beer from Germany and fish caught in the North Sea. The fishermen of Amsterdam had discovered how to salt fish on board their ships and this had enabled them to travel farther and catch more fish than ever before. Now also firmly Protestant, they nevertheless were tolerant of residents who refused to abandon their Catholic faith as long as they were discreet. A few Catholic churches survived the Calvinist takeover, hidden away in private houses in the city. The philosophy of the Amsterdam elite was, ‘If it’s good for business, and is discreet, it should be tolerated.’ People of all faiths were welcomed and the city had a flourishing Jewish quarter living peacefully alongside its Calvinist neighbours. Amsterdam’s enthusiasm for trade finally helped to destroy the Spanish, who were now in firm control of Antwerp and the other southern cities of the Netherlands. Merchants in Amsterdam manufactured and sold warships to their enemy – the Spanish. Then, as the Dutch forces of William destroyed them in battles at sea, the Spanish saw their naval investment literally going up in smoke. Over time, this drain on Spanish funds enabled the people of the Netherlands to finally overthrow their oppressors whilst making them a huge profit in the meantime. In 1581 the northern states of the Netherlands formed an assembly called the States General. They became the only republic in Europe, and at its heart was Amsterdam, an economic powerhouse.
Within a few years, the city had grown beyond all recognition. Thomas initially moved his family into a wooden house, common at that time. It was not as substantial as the splendid brick house he had left behind in Antwerp, but it was serviceable as a temporary residence and he and Beatrice were just grateful to have escaped the dangers of Antwerp and have an opportunity to build up their business once again. They thanked God each day that their children, Heinrich, Friedrich and Clara, had all survived the war and the inevitable dangers of childhood.
Thomas was determined that the family would become one of the most important in Amsterdam. He spent the next decade establishing his business, developing a network of agents for his goods in Germany, France and England. He formed strong relationships with fellow merchants and became an important figure in the city’s council. In 1590, Thomas purchased a new brick-built house – the first to be built on the Herengracht, one of the four main canals that curved their way through the city. Beatrice was delighted with the new house, where the only disturbance at night was the odd drunken sailor trying to find his way back to the docks. She often gazed up at the Ming vase, which had pride of place on the fireplace in the drawing room, and gave thanks for ‘our safe deliverance from harm, and our success.’ The fireplace was tiled with blue and white Delft tiles manufactured by her elder brother Joseph. He had fled from Antwerp with his own family and joined his brother Andries when Thomas and Beatrice had moved to Amsterdam. Between them the brothers developed a successful business in Delft, creating maiolica for the mass market.
There was talk amongst the leading merchants of Amsterdam of opening up direct trade routes with the Far East, which would cut out the Portuguese and Spanish. Thomas attended a meeting one evening held in a tavern in the centre of the city. He came back late. Beatrice had waited up for him and sat by the fire in the small parlour at the back of the house, sewing by the light of an oil lamp.
‘Beatrice, my dear. You have waited up for me. I have some exciting news.’
‘Well, sit, Thomas, and tell me all about it.’
‘I have been shown, this evening, a document called the Itinerario. It was written by an explorer named Jan Huygen van Linschoten. It seems he sailed to the East Indies. His paper is full of the details. It made fascinating reading.’
‘And what has this to do with us, Thomas?’ his wife asked nervously.
‘Well, I should have thought it obvious, Beatrice, my dear. It means that we are no longer to be bound by the monopoly the Portuguese have on the trade from Asia. Our time has come. We will soon be able to trade direct.’
The group had discussed that evening the relative merits of this sea route versus a new northern route that had recently been demonstrated by an explorer named Plancius. He had travelled to Asia across the top of Russia. This route had two distinct advantages over the sea routes of the past: it was shorter, and avoided the pirates who lurked in the Atlantic as well as any confrontation with the Portuguese who still dominated the southerly Asian trade route.
‘We are to make some expeditions exploring this northern route, Beatrice. I have invested.’
‘Will you have to go?’ asked Beatrice anxiously.
‘No. It is a young man’s game. Michael Kaerel’s son Johan is to go though. I met him this evening. He is a sharp and clever young man. I think he would be a good match for our little Clara.’
‘You think so?’
‘I do. Let’s see how he gets on during the expedition. It will be hard, and one never knows if he will return. But if he does, I would like to introduce him to our daughter.’
The expedition went well and clearly demonstrated the possibilities of the northern route. But in the end it was agreed that the sea route around the Cape was still the most effective way of bringing goods back to Europe from Asia. Young Johan returned and a dinner was given by members of the VOC to celebrate the expedition. It was at this event that Johan Kaerel was introduced to Clara van Vaerwye.
The two young people understood from the outset what was expected of them. They were both dutiful and obedient. Johan was not especially tall, but he had a strong, sturdy build. He had light brown hair and attractive green eyes. Clara, who was dark and diminutive, liked him immediately. She was aware that at twenty-five it was high time that she was married, and was grateful that her father had selected a man with a good mind and a kind heart. Their wedding took place four months later and a house was purchased for the couple near Clara’s parents’ home on Herengracht. The night before the wedding, Beatrice took Clara aside into the drawing room. She took the vase down from the fireplace.
‘This is for you Clara. It has been in the family for so long, as you know. I often felt its power in those dark days in Antwerp; I would ask the vase for help as the mob rampaged around our house. Your father disapproves, of course. His faith does not allow the worship of anything so idolatrous. And I do not really worship it, I promise you. But it has helped me from time to time. Given me courage. I hope it does the same for you.’
Clara took the vase and placed it in a cabinet in her husband’s new study. She explained to him its significance.
‘Well, if nothing else,’ he said pragmatically, ‘it is a lovely and valuable thing. I do not believe in magic, but I can see that it has proved an inspiration to your family over the years, with their trade in porcelain and the manufacture of maiolica. So I am grateful to your parents and proud to be its keeper. Thank your mother for me, will you? We shall keep it safe in the cabinet here. Let’s hope it brings me luck next year when I go to Maluku. I shall be bringing spices back with me on that voyage, but there will be other subsequent journeys and I hope to develop our porcelain trade. Now the Portuguese hold on trade has been breached, there is no end to the wonderful things I shall be bringing you, dear Clara.’
* * *
The second element in the making of porcelain is feldspar. This is gathered up, broken into pieces and washed before being pressed into rectangular bricks. The kao lin (pai tun) and feldspar (pet un tse) bricks are then sold and taken down river to Ching-te-Chen. When the bricks are unloaded they are stored in dark caves. The pai tun and pet un tse are then mixed in equal quantities to produce the finest-quality porcelain. For lesser-quality porcelain, four parts pai tun are used with six parts of pet un tse. The mixing is done in a large basin and beaten with wooden spatulas; it is then kneaded. The work must continue day and night.
Chapter Twenty
Sheen, 24th December 2015
Miranda and Georgie spent Christmas each year with her parents and Jeremy. With no parents of his own, he had effectively become part of their family and normally it was a jolly time, filled with games and crackers and food and fun. The routine was now well established. Jeremy would take tea with Miranda and Georgie at her house on Christmas Eve. They would eat Christmas cake and mince pies before loading up Miranda’s old Volvo with the presents and suitcases. With luck they would miss the worst of the traffic and arrive in Surrey in good time for a restorative gin and tonic and a good dinner. Her parents were creatures of habit and so dinner was always fish pie followed by a trip to church for midnight mass, the only part of the ritual that Georgie had begun to rail against.
Christmas Day itself started in the kitchen with Miranda helping her mother prepare stuffing and a huge array of vegetables whilst Jeremy entertained Georgie with whatever board games could be found in the old games cupboard in the drawing room. Presents were over by eleven, ancient aunts arrived before twelve, and neighbours dropped in for drinks shortly after. The family would ‘watch the Queen’ before settling down in the large dining room, where they would tuck into turkey and Christmas pudding. The evening was spent in the drawing room playing charades and other games until bedtime. Boxing Day invariably involved a long walk, the eating of left-overs and an opportunity for Miranda and her mother to both put their feet up and relax.
Jeremy arrived as planned at three forty-five.
