RARE - 18th-century Dutch tile with Old Testament theme, circa 1740 – 1760 (ON HOLD,MW)

Recently I acquired part of a French & Indian War and Revolutionary War collection. It was a diverse assortment of 17^th and 18^th century artifacts – some military and some personal items and décor. In this collection there were 17^th and 18^th tiles with various themes. These tiles were a mixture of animals, flowers, windmills, children, etc. The one offered here is the rarest because of its unique scene.

As typical with these tiles, just about all measure 5 ¼” x 5 ¼” with a thickness of ¼”. This early example has a purple-hued manganese glaze, portraying the creation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. She has just been transported to earth from the clouds on the upper left, and Adam points to his open chest, from which a rib has been extracted for her creation. 

Below the figures, the biblical passage “Gen.2.5.” 2:5 is cited. Genesis 2:5 describes the state of the earth before vegetation, rain, or human cultivation existed. It highlights that no shrubs or plants had grown because God had not yet sent rain and there was no human to work the ground, setting the stage for the creation of man and the Garden of Eden. However, the artist chose to include some shrubs in the background.

In the 18th century, Delft wall tiles were extensively used across Europe and in colonial homes for both decoration and sanitation, primarily in kitchens, dairies, cellars, and fireplace surrounds to protect walls from moisture. These popular manganese tin-glazed tiles were commonly found in wealthy homes, palaces, and, increasingly, in middle-class homes.

After almost 300 years, these tiles became available because many of these buildings and houses deteriorated or were demolished, and some of these tiles survived and were salvaged. As with just about all these tiles, there is the typical wear and chips, however, this one is still in nice condition. This is the first of several that I will be listing in the near future. These ancient tiles look great by themselves or framed.