“Villeroy & Boch” Mettlach Tile Sample Sheets in the Museum Collection

The collection of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation contains almost a hundred different tile sample sheets, which were put into circulation by merchants of imported goods in Riga in the 19th century in order to promote and distribute the products of the German company Villeroy & Boch in the last quarter of the 20th century, early 20th century and the 1920s.

The Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation purchased and collected these sample sheets in 1987. These are valuable materials in the research of decorative finish of Riga’s historical houses.

All 97 items can be viewed on the Joint Catalogue of the National Holdings of Museums of Latvia: https://www.nmkk.lv/izversta-meklesana – searching by the inventory number: VRVM 137413 in the field “uzskaites apzīmējums”.

Text by Inga Karlštrēma, the Art collections manager of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation.

“Villeroy & Boch”  Mettach tile sample sheets.

Coats-of-arms on the façade of the Dom Museum (now – the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation). Image from: Fünfter Rechenschaftsbericht der Abteilung der Gesellschaft für Geschichte und Alterthumskunde für den Rigaschen Dombau für das Jahr 1889, Riga, Bucdruckerei von W. F. Häcker, 1890.