These Delft porcelain fireplace tiles were made in Holland during the 18th century. They were among the 108 tiles which once decorated the 10 1/2 foot high and 9 foot wide mantel of the old Bouck House in Schoharie.
The old Bouck House was torn down in 1877 and the mantel was removed to the Frey Mansion located in the Montgomery County community of Palatine Bridge (pictured below).
Delftware or Delft pottery is a term which describes a traditional style of Dutch tin-glazed earthenware which was popularized in the city of Delft, Netherlands in the early 1600s. The distictive blue color is created using cobalt oxide, which can withstand a high firing temperture and be applied under the glaze.
The fireplace tiles pictured above are on display in the first floor exhibit area at the Old Stone Fort Museum and were donated to the Schoharie County Historical Society by George Taylor.
