A Delft ceramic tile in tin glaze, with representation of a flower in pale green with some yellow, on a piece of ground, within a serrated square, with a corner motif of a lily.
 
Netherlands: Circa 1610-1650
 
Condition: Complete
Thickness: 12 ms. Size: 12.2 x 12.2 cms (4.8 ins).
 
Early Delft tiles (1620s-1650s) mainly used a palate of blue, orange, and green. 
 
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.