A Delft ceramic tile in tin glaze, showing two youthful males playing a sporting game.
 
Netherlands: Circa 1650-1655
 
Condition: Complete; two cracks through the tile repaired.
Thickness 10.3 mms. Size 12 x 12 cms (4.7 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.