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They were like this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Delft-tile-with-Seacreature-17th-century-/231820092123?hash=item35f98de2db:g:cEkAAOSwqrtWn5Uq
in UK auction houses with internet bidding.
£90 for one tile is bizarre !
I've seen identical tiles in similar condition - crazing, cracks, loss - and they've struggled to sell for more than £25 per tile
$150 for the lot is nice though !
Hi all,
I noticed this post a bit too late, but I hope this information will still help you out.
It are indeed Dutch (handmade and hand painted) antique tiles, made at the end of the 17th century (c. 1680) and basically at the end of the Dutch Golden Age. It looks like some tiles might have been made in the same factory, as they show strong similarities in the way the sea creatures, the sea and corner patterns were painted. Some tiles are decorated with so called 'ox-head' corner patterns and the one with the 'dots' is known as a 'spider' corner pattern.
Yes, you can indeed buy Delft tiles on eBay for a rather low price, but do note that the overall condition, the quality of the painting, the depicted image and the age of the tile are of a big influence on the value. Many of the tiles on eBay have old restorations, are badly damaged or are simply too common to be worth a lot. The rare tiles that occasionally come by are not sold cheap.
The tiles you bought seem to be in a pretty good condition, although the top left tile might have been broken. The depicted sea creatures are very entertaining to watch and most definately worth collecting. In my opinion, you made a great purchase (a bargain to be honest)!
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has a great collection of antique Dutch tiles. I believe there was an exhibition quite recently, but not sure if there is anything running at the moment. Some of the tiles they own can be found on their website: http://www.philamuseum.org
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch. Good luck!
Durk
(the owner of the previously mentioned webshop)
That is a fair price for the lot !! There were 4 that came up in the thumbnail pics !! I did not look at the page but I will see if I can find it again !!
Was that U.S. ebay ?? When did they sell for that amount ??
I am with Ipcress on these tiles !! Yes they are old but that does not always convert to value !! Currently you can find these tiles on ebay for prices from $5. for a single to several hundred for multiples from the Netherlands, Switzerland and UK !! They all say,, "or best offer" which means they are overpriced to my way of thinking !! I saw a few watchers on some really ornate ones but no bidding on any that I saw !!
Are these the same tiles that were on Pinterest??
Hi, these tiles are Dutch tiles of the period 1650-1700 ( see for the chronology of the corner motive here: http://www.delfter-fliese.de/ ) and mythical animals of the sea are quite collectable. 400 seems too much to me, I do not know the prices in the USA, but in Europe I woul think they would cost about 100- 150 $, not more...
Mat
I am assuming there is nothing written on them anywhere ?? Can you post a pic of the back of one or two of them ?? Would help to see the thickness if you could put one on an angle please !!
It's real easy to crack very dry leather , esp when it's stretched over a flexible substrate .... (it happens with old sports mitts , boxing gloves , furniture & all sorts of stuff) a quick blow , or a quick flop on a chair can do the job in no time flat .
Dry rot can be a problem too , in some climates , living/hiding on the split side & out of sight .
If your item is really that dry , oil , oil & oil some more !
Aside from it having a blem , I hope you love sitting in your chair , capn !
My personal opinion is that it is not a natural crack !! It is an old scratch !! From where you said it was located, possibly someones watchband had a burr that made it or a ring !!~ At least those are the two most common things I would think of !! No telling really !! But I think its way too smooth and regular for nature to do it !!
When you get a fresh scratch on leather the edges will have a feathered look like tiny hairs along the edge !! As time goes by this will smooth down from normal wear and rubbing against that area as well as polishing or cleaning !! A natural crack in dry leather can look the same but less severe !! I have two saddles,,both black !! I am beginning to be an expert on leather scratches !!
Sometimes poor (& dry) condition of leather furniture in specific areas is caused by years of unabated sunlight damage , just like areas that have had hands (oils) touching them regularly will have supple , if not darker leather .
Maybe this one is one that falls in the middle of your criterion for 'How did this get skru'd up?' responsibility/blame , since neither we not thee knows for sure !?!
It appears from the pictures, like the others stated, that it is a crack. When you have real leather it has imperfections and over time they will show up. ESPECIALLY if someone doesn't keep up the conditioning of the leather (I have been very guilty of this and have a favorite chair with a place just like this on an arm - very visible area).
When you are dealing with genuine leather, "weaknesses" like this will show up over time - which is inherent in it. I always advise buyers when they are looking at genuine leather and "faux" leather that if they want the chair to look pretty much the same in 10 years to go with faux but that it doesn't wear as well and will become saggy and dull looking. The genuine leather will keep it's look but can develop cracks/etc unless maintained (and sometimes even when maintained due to the weight stress from sitting on it which is a heck of alot different than the natural stress points from the cow wearing it!) Kind of like us humans, we develop "character marks" such as wrinkles/spots etc over time.
If it bothers you enough, there are leather repair places out there that can come out and mix up an "epoxy time material" to "glue" the edges back together and you will barely notice it - but it will still be there. If you are going to do that - DO NOT do anything else to the leather at this point so they can get a good grip on the leather without conditioning build up. Or you can wait and do it later.
I agree with Fancypants,, that is not a new scratch !! It has been there a while and looks to me like some polish was used to make it less visible !! Thats why the edges are dark !! You might check at a home improvment store for a fill in product !!
