Delft Blue Tiles

These typical Delft Blue tiles were inspired by the Chinese porcelain that became popular in the Netherlands during the 17th century. The trade by the Dutch East India company delivered it in quantity to the Netherlands. War with the Chinese, and other supply problems led to the Dutch investing in the duplication of a method that the Chinese had kept a secret for over a thousand years. In 1708 Dutch inventors in Leiden were successful in producing the first Dutch tiles. (Source: Wikipedia)