Groote Koninklijke Bazar

Name variations: Grand Bazar Royal, D. Boer & Zonen, Dirk Aartsz. Boer

The Groote Koninklijke Bazar (Big Royal Bazar) was a department store in The Hague. Dirk Boer, the owner of the company, started trading in Asian arts from 1825. In 1843, he opened his store at the Zeestraat.

Description

The Groote Koninklijke Bazar was a department store for Asian wares in The Hague. Owner Dirk Boer (1803-1877) began selling goods in 1825 and opened a store on the Zeestraat in 1843. The store sold Asian items, especially from Japan, China, Persia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as from Indonesia. The buyers were private individuals, including King William II, as well as museums, such as the Royal Cabinet of Curiosities and the then Rijks Ethnografisch Museum. After Boer's death, the business continued under new owners.

Provenance research

It is not known whether the archives of the Groote Koninklijke Bazar have been preserved. There are loose records in various archives. The Hague Municipal Archives has some photographs of the interior of the store, showing many objects. The Wereldmuseum Leiden archive contains correspondence with the Groote Koninklijke Bazar regarding purchases.

Resources

Related items

Keywords

Ceramics
Art trade
Tapestries
Ehtnografic objects
Art market

Geographical

Suriname
Turkey
Indonesia
Oceania
Iran
Japan
China

Period of activity

1825 – 1927