Tile
Unknown Artist
1640–60
Medium
Tin-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
Overall (tile): 5 5/16 × 5 5/16 × 1/2 in. (13.5 × 13.5 × 1.3 cm); Overall (whole panel): 31 3/4 × 21 1/2 in. (80.7 × 54.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
Dutch
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of W. R. Valentiner, 1908
Accession Number
08.196.54
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Dutch tile panel, created between 1640 and 1660 during the Netherlands' Golden Age, exemplifies artistry of tin-glazed earthen, a hallmark of Delft pottery production. Composed of numerous square tiles measuring about 5⅜ inches each, the full panel spans over 31 by 21 inches, originally designed for interior decoration like fireplaces or walls in prosperous homes. Gifted to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1908 by W.R. Valentiner, it the anonymous artist's skill in vibrant blue-and-white glazes over earthenware, a technique borrowed from Italian maiolica but perfected by Dutch pot...