Delft Dutch Tile is a fairly broad name for one of the most recognizable genres in the ceramic tile industry. As a bit of background, the story goes that Italian artisans migrated north to The Netherlands in the 16th century bringing with them the technique of glazing earthenware. Naturally, this elevated utilitarian household pieces to elements of artistic expression. Eventually, these glazed pieces began to include both tiles and pottery as demand increased amongst the upwardly mobile Dutch.
The tile, in particular, had significant practical value being easy to clean and relatively fire resistant. This made Delft Dutch Tile perfect for kitchen walls and fireplace areas.
By the late 17th century the city of Delft became the center of both the art form and the industry. The now familiar blue glaze and bucolic rural scenes were a fixture. The founder of Country Floors began to import these tiles into the United States in the late 1960s as American appreciation for European ceramic tile culture flourished.
In America in 2018, the Delft tile is most commonly thought of, in the broadest layman’s terms, as simply a white tile with blue decorative elements. Please consider this in thinking about this material: one should always expect a hand-finished artisan style with crazing or minute cracks in the glaze. As you review our current Delft assortment with our beautiful collection of Delft ceramic tiles, you will notice all the classic genre elements: white background, blue ornamentation, country ambiance, and farm scenes that you should expect to see.
These are a few small bits of what Country Floors can deliver in Delft Tile. We have a nice footprint of showroom locations where our design professionals can point out even more fine options. Thanks for reading!