Tile
Unknown Artist
ca. 1600
Medium
Tin-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
Overall (tile): 5 1/4 × 5 1/4 × 5/8 in. (13.3 × 13.3 × 1.6 cm); Overall (whole panel): 21 1/4 × 21 1/4 in. (54 × 54 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
Dutch
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.199.179
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite tin-glazedware tile, dating to around 1600, hails from the Dutch Golden Age, a time when the Netherlands flourished in trade, art, and innovation. Produced in the style of Delft ceramics, it forms part of a larger 21¼ × 21¼-inch panel, likely composed of multiple identical tiles arranged in a grid. The modest 5¼-inch square format made such pieces ideal for adorning interiors—think fire surrounds, chimneypieces, or wainscoting in prosperous homes. The medium is key to its charm: earthenware coated with tin oxide creates a glossy white surface, mimicking costly Chinese porcelain...