Delft Tiles

The Delft tiles in our showroom and on our own kitchen walls are Harlinger. Known as 5" tiles, they are actually 5 1/8" X 5 1/8" and ¼" thick. There are also 3" X 3"s and 3" X 6"s. Harlinger tiles, both field and decorative, come with or without the cobalt blue decorative corners. They can be crackled or not. The designs can be either in blue or multi colored. In either case they will be within a fine blue outline because the designs' outlines are applied by pushing charcoal or powdered pumice through pin holes forming the design on paper. These outlines are painted over in blue with a fine brush.

Delft tiles are commonly thought to be very slightly blue all over but, in fact, they are an interesting off-white because their first glazing is in tin oxide.

Harlinger tiles are made about as they were in the 16th and 17th centuries. They are formed in wood or iron molds. The tiny pin holes in the corners of some of them are from the little nails in the corners of molds to hold tiles in place for trimming. The tiles' edges are cut on a slant so that grout lines can be as narrow as possible on the surface.

There are many and varied design lines in Harlinger tiles. The ones we have favored are the birds and animals that are indigenous to both sides of the Atlantic.