A Delft ceramic tile in tin glaze, showing a farmer cultivating a plant in the ground, probably a tulip. An ox-head motif in each corner.
 
Netherlands: Circa 1625-1650
 
Complete: A large dig to surface in one corner.
Thickness: 12 ms. Size: 12.7 x 12.7 cms (5 ins).
 
In the early-16th century, Antwerp, now in modern Belgium, was the most cultured city in Europe, with the best craftsmen. After the Spanish invasion in 1584 they fled north to what is now the Netherlands. Italian majolica-makers brought with them their tradition of making highly decorated, colourful clay floor tiles with an opaque glaze.