Jan & John Maggs

Antiques and Art

An 18th-century Delft tile with eggplant tinted glaze

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While the colors blue and white define Delftware for some, Dutch ceramics were frequently given a manganese glaze, which produced the soft purple that makes this tile so pleasing to the eye. The subject matter of this example is a statue on a pedestal, standing in front of a country home. The detail required by the sculpture – a figure propped onto a decorative base – must have been too challenging for the high-speed imagery required by the tile industry, so the artist reduced the figure to a head, a belly, and a post. Trees and clouds, which required only simple brush strokes, can be seen in abundance.

Holland, probably Delft, 18th century

Dimensions: 5 ⅛” X 5 ⅛”; Thickness: ⅜”

Price: $95

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