Fascination

The „secret“ of the up to 430 years old tiles is at first, that no single tile reveals its full fascination. Even a square of four, nine or sixteen tiles (tile picture, panel, also called: "Tableau") completes the whole pattern.

Herewith the ornament in the corners, for example the ox-head, the carnation, the lily or the spider, forms together with the main motifs a really impressive and perfect picture.


 

Fruit dish, respectively a panel from nine tiles, where the fretwork corner motif creates a rhombus with scalloped border (polychrome; province Holland, 1620 - 1650; 13,2 x 13,2 x 1,5 cm)

         

 


Deer
(blue; probably Rotterdam or Delft, 1620 - 1650; 13,2 x 13,2 x 1,3 cm)

 

Four tiles with flowervases placed together 
(
blue; probably Rotterdam or Delft, 1620 - 1650; 13,2 x 13,2 x 1,6 cm)


"Baluster"-tiles,
named after the border which looks like a candelstick if two tiles are placed alongside one another


 



Panel flower pots in a diamond, alternately in similar sized "Moorish" squares (diamonds), created out of the corner pattern (polychrome; corner motif: palmette in reserve - "palmethoek" -; province Holland or Zeeland, approx. 1610; 13,6 x 13,6 x 1,7 cm)

 

Flower pots with three flowers, the quarter rosette corner motif forms a circle which alternates with the flower vase decor (polychrome; province Holland or Zeeland, 1600 - 1640; 13,4 x 13,4 x 1,4 cm)

 

one landscape motif and three shepherd scenes (collected separately), the corner motif from quarter stars creates an entire star (blue; motif in a circle surrounded by an eight-lobed double quatrefoil (octofoil) on purple powdered ground; upper tiles: 1700 - 1750, 12,6 x 12,6 x 0,8 cm; lower tiles: 1650 - 1700, 13,0 x 13,0 x 0,9 cm)

 

 

16 tiles with geometric ornaments, also called "sun, moon and stars", because circles and stars are formed from the tiles placed alongside one another (blue; Makkum, since 1750, here approx. 1780; 13,0 x 13,0 x 0,9 cm)


A similar fascinating effect can be seen by landscape tiles when the central motif surrounding is of "open" design.

The pattern allowes the placing of a couple of tiles alongside one another in a row, which gives rise to an ongoing landscape. Connecting elements are grassy hills, river courses or stylized waves (fig.: landscape tiles; mangan and blue; corner motif: spider; mainly from the 2nd half of the 18th century; all approx. 13,0 x 13,0 x 0,8 cm; please look for a further example following the link "Corner motifs", where an island leads to a connection).

 

 

 

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