Dutch Delft 18th Century Cat Painting on 6 Tiles in Violet Glaze on White Earthenware

A set of six framed rare mid to late18th Century Dutch Delft Tiles with painting of a serious Cat in historic dark violet glaze on white glazed earthenware.

Dutch Delftware tiles, including those with cat themes, were often decorated with violet glazes using manganese oxide, a technique that emerged in the 17th century and remained popular through the 18th century. This added a distinctive purple hue to the hand-painted designs, sometimes as an alternative to the more well-known blue cobalt glazes. In the second half of the eighteenth century, the production of tiles with a violet manganese decoration even surpassed that of blue and white tiles. This hand painted cat figure with expressive brush strokes in violet manganese is a remarkable example of Dutch folk artistry and craftsmanship of the period.

Each tile measures 5 1/8 inches by 5 1/8 inches the standard size of early Delftware tiles. The completed framed piece is 17 inches by 11 3/4 inches. The tiles are 3/8 inches thick which is consistent with tiles manufactured in the mid to late 1700s.

As the production process of Delft Tiles became more advanced and efficient, the tiles became thinner and thinner. We can use the thickness of the tile as a good indication of its age. A very
thick tile is often late 16th century or early 17th century, where as a thinner can be dated around 1650 or 1700.

This set of tiles are laid down on wood in a faux bamboo wood frame. There is only one crack in the upper right tile that has been glued so the seam is very slight. It required no paint restoration. There is a very small chip on the center right tile in the upper right hand corner.

Ceramic.  Glazed.  Hand Painted

Netherlands. Folk Art. Of the period