Hans van Lemmen | Historical Tiles writing about tiles and architectural ceramics
DELFTWARE TILES
Delftware pottery and tiles were in great demand during the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The term’ delftware’ is generally used to indicate functional or decorative earthenware pottery covered with an opaque white tin glaze on which decorations have been painted in blue or other colours. The term is derived from the Dutch town of Delft where from the seventeenth century many potteries produced hand-painted tin-glazed pottery of high quality which was exported all over the world. The potteries in Delft produced tiles alongside their other wares but tiles were not a major product. Most Dutch tiles were manufactured in such places as Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Gouda, and in the north of the country in Harlingen and Makkum where tiles were often the main line of business. Delftware was also made in Britain, at first by Flemish and Dutch potters who had settled mainly in London at the end of sixteenth and in the seventeenth century. However, no specialist tile factories were ever established in Britain and tiles were only one aspect of their output.
Delftware tiles form a special category within the history of delftware pottery. Since they were mainly applied to walls and fireplaces, they belong to the history of architectural ceramics. Their prime purpose was functional but the many scenes and decorations painted on them have made them a fascinating field of study, which is one reason why they are now eagerly collected or carefully preserved in situ.
-
- Early 17th century polychrome Dutch tile with marigolds in a vase and large ‘reserve’(white on blue) corner motifs
-
- Early 17th century polychrome Dutch tile with a complex motif of a tulip, marigolds, grapes and pomegranates
-
- Mid 17th century Dutch tile with a tulip and fleur-de-lis corner motifs
-
- Mid 17th century Dutch tile with tulips and Chinese Wan-Li corner motifs
-
- Early 17th century Dutch tile with a soldier playing on a flute
-
- Mid 17th century Dutch tile with a soldier and fleur-de-lis corner motifs
-
- Dutch tile of the second half of the 17th century with a cupid blowing a horn
-
- Late 17th century Dutch tile with ship in full sail with ox-head corner motifs
-
- Mid 18th century Dutch tile made in Harlingen depicting a shepherd and his flock and spider’s head corner motifs
-
- Mid 18th century Dutch tile probably made in Rotterdam showing a hunter returning home set within an elaborate French style border
-
- Mid 18th century Dutch with three Old Testament prophets and carnation corner motifs
-
- Mid 18th century Dutch biblical tile showing scene from the Old Testament of the Dance around the Golden Calf and ox-head corner motifs
-
- Mid 18th century Dutch tile made in Rotterdam with a scene from daily life
-
- Mid 18th century Dutch tile with a river scene and spider’s head corner motifs made in Rotterdam
-
- Late 18th or early 19th century Dutch tile with a floral motif of a tulip and a carnation
-
- 19th century Dutch tile made in Harlingen, Friesland
-
- Late 19th century Dutch tile with river scene made by J. van Hulst in Harlingen, Friesland
-
- Late nineteenth century tile with a warrior on horseback and fleur-de-lis corner motifs
-
- Landscape tile of c. 1900 made in Harlingen, Friesland
-
- Modern replica by Joop van de Werf of a biblical tile showing Jonah and the Whale