(M177)
Tin glazed earthenware, 5 x 5 in, hand painted inglaze,
plain tile with flower corner motifs, Lambeth (London) c.1740/60.

Tiles are the simplest form of ceramic art. The earliest known examples are Egyptian and from 4,000 BC. Through history, tiles were made by Assyrians, Babylonians and the Islamic Empire. Early tiles can be seen in Tunisia (c.9th), Kashan Iran (c.11th), and many middle-eastern mosques display Koranic scripts using highly coloured relief tiles (c.12th onwards).
The earliest tiles in Western Europe (late c.10th) were found in a number of locations in England (eg. York and Winchester). Glazed tiles were an expensive building item which resulted in their use being restricted to wealthy ecclesiastic establishments. From c.16th onwards Moorish tile making slowly spread north through Spain, from c.14th tin glazed tile making spread from Holland over to England.
English tile making expanded rapidly during the industrial revolution, peaked in the late 1800s and slumped soon after the turn of the century. American tile makers enjoyed a similar period of prosperity to their counterparts across 'the pond' but had to compete with English imports.
Tile making seems to be undergoing a revival at present. Architects, builders and individuals seem to be taking a fresh look at tiles and how they can be used to enhance both interiors and exteriors of homes, public buildings and places of work.

The Tile Image Gallery is intended to show just how beautiful a tile can be. Many tiles which were made as a decorative or functional building item are now classed as ceramic art. To accompany each image is a very brief description and an indication of date of manufacture and/or design. I would be pleased to be sent any corrections to the information I provide. Also if you have any tiles you would like to see featured in The Tile Image Gallery then please contact me. We can then make the arrangements to have them featured in the gallery.

I would like to thank Chris Blanchett (Buckland Books) and Hans van Lemmen for their assistance in identifying and dating some of the tiles displayed in this gallery.