The Vicenzo blue terracotta tile carries intricately detailed blue decoration over a delicately aged off-white background. Hand-painted in a Southern Italian artisan studio, it is identified as Sicilian in origin and 19th century in character. Four tiles meet to complete the repeat, allowing the fine linework to build into a broader and more formal patterned surface.

Fine Linework in the Vicenzo Blue Terracotta Tile

Vicenzo’s appeal lies in the contrast between detailed blue ornament and the softened ground beneath it. Ageing in the background and tile body reduces the starkness often associated with new blue and white ceramics, while small changes in brush pressure and alignment retain the evidence of handmade production. The complete four-tile unit should be judged as a composition rather than as isolated pieces.

Within the collection, Serafina Blue and White provides a looser 17th-century interpretation with naïve drawing, while Tyrrhenian uses a blue field and off-white ornament for a stronger reversal of colour. Elsewhere at De Ferranti, the Delft Tile in White and Blue offers a northern European comparison in blue and white ceramics, and the Cobalt Blossom Arabesque develops intricate floral geometry through an Islamic decorative language.

It forms part of the Italianate Handpainted Tiles Collection.

Specifying an Aged Blue and White Repeat

This hand-painted Sicilian tile may be considered for floors, walls, kitchens, bathrooms, staircases, fireplace surrounds, restaurants, tabletops, swimming-pool areas and selected warm-climate exterior applications, subject to specification. The repeat should be set out as complete four-tile units. Samples will help establish the preferred grout width and show how the aged off-white ground relates to plaster, pale stone, timber, brass and other adjacent materials.

Project Guidance and Enquiries

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