Tile - 1900-1910

“Un Puerto de Mar”, XVII c.?, Prado Museum; tableau of 20 tiles, 11×11 cm, frame 58×48 cm

NAUTICAL TABLEAU (20 TILES) – 19th / early 20th century

Tableau consisting of 20 ceramic tiles, each measuring 11 × 11 cm. Entire piece framed in an elegant decorative wooden frame. The composition of the tiles is based on a motif inspired by 17th-century nautical painting, associated with the work of Jan Peeters.

Object name:
Nautical tableau composed of 20 ceramic tiles.

Object character:
Decorative panoramic ceramic composition depicting a harbor scene, made of tiles arranged in four rows of five elements each.

Composition:
The set includes 20 ceramic tiles, each 11 × 11 cm. The tiles form a cohesive image and have been framed in a decorative wooden frame measuring about 58 × 48 cm.

Dimensions:
Single tile: 11 × 11 cm
Overall in frame: approx. 58 × 48 cm

Technique:
Tiles were made using the transfer graphic technique, which involves transferring a graphic pattern to the ceramic surface and fixing it through firing. This technique was widely used in Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries to create decorative compositions inspired by well-known paintings.

Scene description:
The composition presents an extended harbor scene with sailing ships and figures on the quay. Vessels with rich rigging are visible, along with smaller craft and silhouettes of people in period costumes. The overall scene conveys the atmosphere of a 17th-century Dutch port, with a clear sense of movement and spatial depth.

Inspiration and context:
The iconographic motif references the work “Un Puerto de Mar” housed in the Museo Nacional del Prado collection in Madrid. On one of the tiles a Spanish label with this title has survived, confirming the connection of the composition with the tradition of museum reproductions and its collecting circulation.

Dating:
Based on the technique and formal characteristics, the object can be dated to the 19th century or the early 20th century. Family records indicate that by the 1920s it was already regarded as an old object, suggesting a history of over a hundred years.

Frame:
Decorative, elegant wooden frame.

Condition:
Good condition, with visible signs of use.

Manufacturer:
European production, probably Belgian. A workshop specializing in decorative transfer tiles.

Collector’s value:
• A wide, panoramic composition made of 20 tiles
• Attractive nautical motif inspired by 17th-century painting
• Connection with iconography known from the Prado collection
• Striking decorative form for classical and historicizing interiors