Finely handpainted cat tiles from the Bestíario series.

Inspired by Tile panels from Palácio dos Marqueses de Fronteira, Lisbon. Originals were created by the workshops of Jan van Oort and Willem van der Kloet, Amsterdam, 17th C.

From De Ferranti’s Portuguese Handpainted Tiles Collection.

Handpainted Cat Tiles and Fronteira Bestiary

The paired cats are drawn with fine black linework and washes of cobalt, pale blue and grey over a white ground. Their faces dominate the composition, while the fish between them turns the square into a compact, humorous exchange. The close crop gives the subject intimacy and makes it useful as a discovered detail rather than a mechanically repeating field.

At Fronteira, animal imagery brings curiosity and wit into a formal palace and garden setting. Os Gatos follows that principle at a domestic scale: the scene rewards close viewing, yet the strong eyes, whiskers and blue marks remain legible from across a room.

Within the collection, Frontera Cat isolates a full feline figure and the Tile Collage places animals within a larger group. The Medievalissimo lion roundel offers a heraldic comparison, while the Delft Tile Collage develops a related Dutch pictorial language.

Setting Out Handpainted Cat Tiles

Use the motif as an eye-level accent, framed panel or pause within a quieter field. Establish the grout colour and joint width with grouped samples, and keep cuts clear of the cats’ eyes, whiskers and central fish. Confirm the installation system and application suitability before ordering. Allow the close facial detail enough viewing distance and even illumination.

Project Guidance and Enquiries

For project guidance, availability, pricing, samples or further information, please use the Send E-Mail button below this description. Your enquiry will come directly to De Ferranti, and we will be pleased to discuss suitability, quantities, lead times and options for your project.