Fine Tiles Collection

My Top 3

This is a comparatively neglected field of collecting —and therefore with possibilities for anyone who has to make a few pounds go a long way. But for the thoughtful person it can also be a very rewarding one. Thefinest collection of tiles anywhere, I suppose, is in the British Museum: but it is surprising how often one sees specimens in ordinary junk shops, priced at a pound or less, which would certainly not be out of place there.

However, this is another of those subjects where one ought to talk about the arrangement first and the things themselves afterwards, for this will obviously affect the way one goes about the collecting.

There are three ways I know of collecting tiles. One is to gather them in sets of three, four, six, nine and so on, then have them framed. Well-chosen ones make excellent wall decorations, to many tastes preferable to pictures. Another way is to arrange them in one of those shallowdrawered “specimen” cabinets where they can be gloated over as occasion arises. This is the method for the serious student.