Jan and John Maggs Antiques

Delft Tile Gallery

Since we've been in business, Delft tiles, these little 5" X 5" paintings in blue or mulberry on white, have fascinated and captivated us. Some of our best customers have come to us because of the tiles in our shop. But even without this commercial side, the collecting of tiles -- and early Dutch tiles in particular -- has been a highlight of our buying and selling.

We've often been surprised that, outside of the Hudson River Valley and a few other centers of Dutch settlement, most antiquers on this side of the Atlantic have only the most casual acquaintance with Dutch tiles of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. At an auction in New Hampshire about ten years ago a small collection of Delft tiles on biblical subjects was being sold. After we had bought them for nearly $100 each, a dealer friend rushed over to ask, "What are those things?" We sold them to a collector a few days later over the phone.

The joys of tile collecting stem from their two principal attributes: beauty and utility. Each tile was painted by an artist whose skills as a painter were channeled into the speedy production of merchandise to feed a burgeoning market for this unique Dutch decorative piece. These small tiles were produced in large series of differing scenes with related subject matter. While the subject matter was limited to a few dozen images in each series, the skills and technique of individual artists guarantee that, like snowflakes, no two tiles are exactly alike.

Tiles were used decoratively on walls, mop boards, and floors, and structurally in fireplaces, sinks, and baths. For photos of a few Dutch installations of blue and white tiles, click here.

Click on the thumbnails below for pictures and details.

18th century Dutch manganese tile: Christ at Emmaus [#16974]

18th century Dutch manganese tile: Zachariah in the Temple [#16975]

  Dutch tile of a man and woman on ice skates [#16731]

  Dutch tile of a goose [#16728]

  Dutch tile of a well-dressed gentleman on ice skates [#16611]

  Dutch tile of a man carrying a sign or a flag [#16020]

  Dutch tile of a boy throwing darts [#16018]

  Sledding Scene [#14545]

  Set of four 18th century floral tiles [#15844]

  Judas returns the silver pieces [#16052]
 

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