Blue and white transfer print, Wedgwood tile. Attributed to Thomas Allen. 19th century.
Anne Gilbert photo

Individual decorative tiles are coming to auction more often. A decade ago interesting examples were only found in boxes at mall antique shows and salvage yards. Prices were from $5 to maybe $100 for an unusual design or an identifiable maker.

Not so these days.

Travel to most any country in the world and you'll discover each has a rich history of decorative tiles. Among the most colorful are the Islamic examples, where palaces and walls as early as the 16th century were adorned with tiles. Surprisingly, many are sold these days as individual pieces to collectors. Prices vary depending on eye appeal and rarity. Figural tiles painted in the style of 16th-century Persian miniature painters can sell for as much as $10, 000 a tile. 17th-century. Less decorative Islamic tiles can sell at auction for as little as $2,000 each.

Decorative tile making in the 17th century traveled to Spain and Italy where they were made of Majolica. They were also made in Holland - in huge quantities at that time - and exported all over Europe. Blue and orange were the dominant colors and popular patterns were grapes, tulips and pomegranates.

By 1630 they were being made in Delft in blue and white, with figures of soldiers, ladies and horsemen. Later, marine monsters, ships and small landscapes were used. These sell at auction beginning at around $400 each. By the 18th century, polychrome tiles were made in Liverpool.

By the 19th century tile pictures were being made in Europe. Often a group of six or eight small scenic tiles with every subject from cats and dogs to windmills were placed in kitchens as art.

By the late 19th century in England it became very fashionable to decorate fireplaces and furniture with tiles. Wedgwood and Minton were among the makers of decorative tiles.

An artist attribution can up the value of 19th-century tiles. When a pair of Wedgwood glazed earthenware tile pictures, c.1880 with allegorical male and female figures attributed to Charles Toft, came to auction last year the estimated value was $400-$600.

A Wedgwood tile picture, c. 1883 attributed to artist Thomas Allen in brown enamel earthenware, at the same auction was estimated at $300-$500. Less expensive are transfer printed tiles, even with Wedgwood marks.

Americans imported decorative tiles from England until after the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia. At the exhibit the many displays of European-made tiles alerted American clay workers to a potential new market. By the last quarter of the 19th century there were at least 25 American companies making tiles.

Among the earliest and most important are American Encaustic Tiling Co., Zanesville, Ohio, founded in 1875 and the United States Encaustic Tiling Co., Indianapolis, Ind., founded in 1877.

Early examples were made by immigrant workmen skilled in European techniques. Popular subjects included flora and fauna. They also continued the English tradition of finely modeled, low-relief portrait heads and figures in period dress.

Some of the most interesting and attractive American tiles were made by the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in Doylestown, Pa. Owner Henry Mercer began experimenting with the making of tiles in 1897. This was just one of his interests. Before that he was fascinated by antiquities and during the next 10 years he worked in anthropology and archaeology that led to curatorial and editing jobs.

When he became interested in tiles he went to Germany and studied the craft with experts. When his plant was in production in 1912 (after burning down in 1910) he created the tile designs himself. Among the designs were Moravian (influenced by Moravian stove plates), medieval historical events and European architectural artifacts. Others were adapted from Spanish and German tile designs and English floor tiles.

Finishes were shiny and unglazed, matte and glazed, and used a variety of techniques that included sgraffito (decoration made by scratching or incising the design through the slip before glazing). What makes some of the tiles so unusual is the way colors were used. For example the sky could be yellow and a tree blue.

While we usually think of Rookwood Pottery as making decorative vases, the company began making architectural tiles in 1902. By 1907 they were making tiles for everything from mantels to massive architectural reliefs for building exteriors. Their tiles came in a variety of sizes and color glazes.

Some highly collectible tiles were made by Grueby Faience Co. in the early 1900s. The most expensive are those with scenes in the Arts and Crafts style. Collectors should look for any tiles that represent a particular style - such as Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau or the Modern Movement. Still affordable are California pottery tiles made in the 1940s. Two companies who made them are Malibu Potteries and the Taylor Tilery in Los Angeles.

Many European and Far Eastern tiles being sold aren't as old as they look. One clue to whether a tile is really 17th- or 18th-century is thickness. Before you pay too much check the thickness. Early tiles were very thin, compared to 19th- and 20th-century tiles.