Tile - Galloping Horses - 17th – 18th century (circa 1680 – 1720)

Pair of Tin-glazed Faience Tiles – Racing Horses – Delft / Netherlands – 17th / 18th century

Pair of square tiles in Dutch tin-glazed faience with cobalt blue painted decoration on an milky white glaze background. Each tile depicts a horse trotting to the left, on a hatched hill, within a circular medallion bordered by double lines and flanked by stylized vegetation on the sides.

The four corners are adorned with the traditional corner motif known as “egg heads” or “ear rings” (ossekop / bull’s-eye), characteristic of Dutch Delft, Rotterdam or Harlingen workshops. The finesse of the naive line and the lightness of the ware indicate a fine artisanal craftsmanship from the Baroque period.

Technical specifications
Origin: Netherlands (Delft / Rotterdam)
Period: 17th – 18th century (circa 1680 – 1720)
Quantity: Pair (2 tiles)
Dimensions: 11.4 x 11.4 cm each
Thickness: 1.0 cm
Technique: Tin-glazed Faience, hand-painted cobalt blue underglaze (grand feu) on a milky white glaze

Condition report
Face & Glaze: Good freshness of the glaze and blue pigment. Minor wear micro-scratches and small glaze losses from firing around the edges and corners, quite typical for 17th/18th-century tiles. A fine crazing (firing crackle) is visible under oblique light.

Structure & Back: Rosy/beige terracotta of period. Regular reverse with light traces of original bedding mortar/plaster. No major concealed restoration.