A wall tile is a thin slab of fired clay, usually glazed, used to cover and decorate walls. Wall tiles provide a durable, washable and decorative surface, and historic examples are prized for their colours, patterns and craftsmanship as well as their architectural use.
Tin-glazed tiles were made in Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands from the Renaissance onwards, and Dutch Delft tiles, painted with landscapes, ships, figures and biblical scenes, were exported widely and used to line fireplaces and kitchens. English delftware tiles were made in London, Bristol and Liverpool, where transfer printing on tiles was developed in the eighteenth century. The Victorian period brought mass production, with firms such as Minton, Maw and Company and Doulton supplying tiles for fireplaces, halls, butchers' shops, dairies and public buildings. Designers such as William De Morgan produced lustre and Persian-inspired tiles, and Art Nouveau tiles with tube-lined decoration were popular for fireplaces and washstands. Collectors look for maker's marks on the back, good glazes, crisp decoration and minimal chipping or crazing. Antique tiles are often reused in fireplaces, kitchens and bathrooms to add authentic period character.
