DELFT TILE

One of the jobs my uncle Ian Magus had to do as a building contractor was to rip a truly beautiful 17th. Century fireplace from the dining room of an old mansion. It was to be replaced by something modern & tasteless. In the process IM managed to liberate a dozen or so of these tiles & circulated them around the family.

This Dutch style of painting on a white tin glaze was nicked from the Spanish "Maiolica" (Mallorca) remember Spain controlled a large part of the Netherlands. Concurrently "Faïence" (Faenza) was flourishing in Italy.

OK, OK - pedantics over!