Description
These are Four fine Delft ceramic wall tiles all with a blue and white hand painted similar pattern, made in the Netherlands during the late 17th / early 18th Century, circa 1700 and mounted in custom made copper frames all ready for hanging.
Each tile is nominally 5 inches square, increasing to about 5~1/8 inches square with the frame included.
All four tiles are unique, being individually hand painted with similar but different patterns featuring a shepherd meeting an angel in a country-side setting, with animals (dogs, sheep etc.) by a large tree with hills in the background, all in excellent hand painted detail. All four tiles are finely enamelled in cobalt blue, using different shades of blue, which varies slightly from tile to tile as expected:- please see the images.
Normally these tiles have quite crudely, fast-painted, naturalistic decoration. The quality of the hand painting on these tiles is much better, with much greater detail , e.g. see the detail in the tree branches /leaves.
Overall a very beautiful , fine quality, early set for display.
Notes: On Delft Tiles
In the second half of the 17th century, the city of Delft became the centre of production for high-quality tin glazed earthenware. The earthenware industry disappeared from most Dutch cities, though tile factories managed to survive in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Utrecht. Tile and plate production continued in the northern province of Friesland, more specifically in the towns of Harlingen and Makkum.
Internal Ref: P 1825
 
Dimensions
Height = 13 cm (5.1")
Width = 13 cm (5.1")
Depth = 1.3 cm (0.5")