Show off your design dexterity with decorative tiles found at online auctions

A single or small group of tiles can feature in a plain fireplace, kitchen or bathroom, be used as a drinks coaster, a trivet in the kitchen, framed on a wall, become part of a floor feature or a table top under glass. For the collectors among you, keep your new purchase safe with the rest.

Decorative tiles range from Victorian and Edwardian versions by big makers such as Minton to the more valuable and rare Islamic tiles. For a full collecting guide on decorative tiles visit Antiques Trade Gazette’s tile guide. For those of you wanting to know more about collecting Islamic tiles read our Islamic art guide.

Here are six tile lots coming at auctions online.

1. English pottery tiles

This mixed group (above) coming up at Special Auction Services on June 9-10 includes a Minton black transfer printed tile featuring a hare, a Minton tile trivet with a woman washing at a fountain and floral printed tiles. As with many old tiles, some have cracks or chips.

The group is estimated at £30-50. View and bid for this English pottery tile group via thesaleroom.com.

2. Pair of green Minton tiles

Green glazed Minton tiles offered at £30-50 at Adam Partridge on May 26-29.

This pair of green glazed Minton tiles decorated with a putto playing the cymbals and blowing a horn, both with stamped marks to the reverse, are offered at £30-50 at Adam Partridge on May 26-29. Both have crazing to the glaze, some fritting to the edges and some surface abrasions and tiny losses to the corners.

View and bid for this pair of green Minton tiles via thesaleroom.com.

3. Black marble inlaid tiles

Five black marble and inlaid tiles estimated £30-50 on June 6 at Mander Auctioneers.

This collection of five black marble and inlaid tiles, are coming up for auction on June 6 at Mander Auctioneers with an estimate of £30-50. 

View and bid for these black marble and inlaid tiles via thesaleroom.com.

4. Arts and crafts style tile

A 19th century Minton arts and crafts tile with a Delft tile estimated at £50-80 at Wootton Auction Rooms on June 2-3.

This unusual 19th century Minton tile with painted decoration in the arts and crafts manner of a bird with a fish in its bill, has a moulded Minton mark to reverse and painted mark for Holland and Holt, Warwick (founded by William Holland fl.1846-1883). It comes with a Delft tile and both are estimated at £50-80 at Wootton Auction Rooms on June 2-3. 

View and bid for this Arts and Crafts tile via thesaleroom.com.

5. Arabic tile

A blue glazed Arabic ceramic wall tile offered at £200-300 at Timeline Auctions on June 2-7.

This 19th-20th century deep blue glazed ceramic wall tile has a low-relief sunburst motif with a band of Kufic text and outer guilloche border. It comes from a collector in north London who purchased it in the 1980s. It is offered at £200-300 at Timeline Auctions on June 2-7. 

View and bid for this blue Arabic tile via thesaleroom.com.

6. Persian tile

A 19th century Qajar moulded pottery tile offered at £1000-1500 at Roseberys on June 16.

For the collectors among you, Roseberys is offering this Qajar moulded pottery tile depicting a wedding feast in its Islamic Arts and Manuscripts sale on June 16. The 19^th century Iranian tile with a Persian inscription is offered at £1000-1500. View and bid for this Qajar Persian tile via thesaleroom.com.