Panel of tiles (8)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1660
Medium
Faience (tin-glazed earthenware)
Dimensions
Overall: 10 × 20 in. (25.4 × 50.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
French, Rouen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.1951
Art Historical Context
This exquisite panel of eight faience tiles, crafted in Rouen, France, around 1660, offers a glimpse into the opulent domestic life of 17th-century. Rouen was a thriving hub for faience production during Louis XIV's reign, renowned for its high-quality tin-glazed earthen that rivaled Italian maiolica. These compact tiles, measuring 10 × 20 inches overall, were likely designed for interior decoration—perhaps adorning a fireplace surround, wainscoting, or cabinetry—bringing vibrant color and pattern to bourgeois homes. Faience's tin-glazing technique created a smooth, glossy surface ideal for i...