Delft Plates

Q: I have two 9-inch plates marked “Delfts Blauw Chemkefa.” One plate pictures a small church and is titled “Hasselt Kapel.” The other pictures a man and is titled “Petrus Donders.” I’d like to know something about them. Are they of any importance?

A: Your plates were made by Chemisch Keramisch Fabriek (Chemfeka Earthenware Factory), a company in the Netherlands. The trade name “Chemkefa” is an acronym of the factory name. The company started operating in 1969 and was in business for several years, but it seems to be out of business now. Chemfeka made collector plates with blue Delft (Delft Blauw) Dutch scenes. Hasselt Kapel (Hasselt Chapel), the church shown on your plate, was built before 1536 near Tilburg in the Netherlands. Peter Donders (1807-1887) was born in Tilburg and became a Roman Catholic missionary and later a priest in Surinam. Value of your 20th-century plates is about $75 each.