Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Europe 1600-1815, Room 3

Tile Panel

1710-1750 (made)
Place of origin

Although Delft's factories did not solely specialise in making tiles, often combining tile production with functional wares, they created some of the most lavish 18th-century polychrome tile pictures. Groups of tile panels were used to decorate the walls of European royal residences, such as the Château de Rambouillet, near Paris, built in 1715-30, and Schloss Amaliënburg near Munich, built in 1734-9. Tile panels at Amaliënburg, inlcuding a number in Chinoiserie style, seem to have originally been intended for the Residenz-Schloss in Munich, which suffered an extensive fire in 1729.

This fine panel is similarly notable for its Chinese theme, expressed through the asymmetry of the flowering plant, and the presence of a qilin - a Chinese mythical creature with the head of a dragon, a scaly body, and a lion's tail - upon which the vase is set.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 36 parts.

  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
  • Tile
Materials and techniques
Tin-glazed earthenware, painted in colours
Brief description
Tile panel, Delft, Netherlands, 1710-50
Physical description
Panel of thirty-six tiles, painted in colours. A flowering plant and leaves grow from a vase set on the back of a qilin, and birds perch on the branches.
Dimensions
  • Height: 4 1/2ft (imperial measurement from registers)
  • Width: 11in
  • Height: 1215mm (measured by Conservation for Europe 1600-1815)
  • Width: 555mm (measured by Conservation for Europe 1600-1815)
  • Depth: 45mm (measured by Conservation for Europe 1600-1815)
The framed dimensions may be different from the above dimensions.
Gallery label
Tile panel with flowering tree 1710–50 An exotic bird sits in a flowering tree, which grows out of a Chinese porcelain jar. The jar is supported by a qilin, a Chinese mythical creature with the head of a dragon, a scaly body and a lion’s tail. Various German and French royal residences had Asian-inspired painted tile panels like this. Dutch Republic, now the Netherlands (Delft) Tin-glazed earthenware, painted Mellor Bequest (09/12/2015)
Credit line
Mellor Bequest
Summary
Although Delft's factories did not solely specialise in making tiles, often combining tile production with functional wares, they created some of the most lavish 18th-century polychrome tile pictures. Groups of tile panels were used to decorate the walls of European royal residences, such as the Château de Rambouillet, near Paris, built in 1715-30, and Schloss Amaliënburg near Munich, built in 1734-9. Tile panels at Amaliënburg, inlcuding a number in Chinoiserie style, seem to have originally been intended for the Residenz-Schloss in Munich, which suffered an extensive fire in 1729.

This fine panel is similarly notable for its Chinese theme, expressed through the asymmetry of the flowering plant, and the presence of a qilin - a Chinese mythical creature with the head of a dragon, a scaly body, and a lion's tail - upon which the vase is set.
Bibliographic reference
C.H. de Jonge. Dutch Tiles. London: Pall Mall Press, 1971, pp. 104-108.
Collection
Accession number
C.107 to II-1965

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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