The mystery of Breda’s eye tile

There are two variants of the eye tile, made in the colours of the Nassaus: blue and yellow. The tiles were made by a workshop in Antwerp, commissioned by Henry III for Breda Castle. In the 18th century, the eye tiles were found in the Castle Gallery, but they may originally have been elsewhere in the building. “That is the first mystery. Where were the floor tiles originally laid?” Dingeman explains. In a poem from 1697, Pieter Nuyts mentions a ‘many-eyed Gallery’ in the Castle. He presumably meant the gallery of the southern forebuilding, but no one really knows for certain.

“It’s fun to imagine what that hall looked like,” says Dingeman. “The Castle was a prestigious castle at the time, one of the most remarkable places in Europe. In the 19th century, all the ornaments were removed and buried underground so that the KMA could be established there. If those tiles had still been there, it would have been a world-famous room that people from all over the world would have travelled to Breda especially to see. I’m certain of that,” says Dingeman. 

You might think that these eye tiles can also be found elsewhere in the world. But that is not the case. “These eye tiles are truly unique,” Dingeman explains. “These eye tiles are entirely tailored to Breda, to Breda Castle. The eye tiles are connected to two very important people: Hendrik III of Nassau and Mencía de Mendoza. She was the trophy bride, the most prestigious marriage candidate in Spain. The Nassau colours blue and yellow refer to Hendrik; the Moorish shape of the tiles has everything to do with Mencía. The eye tiles symbolise their marriage.”

The reason for the colours and shape of the eye tiles is clear. But why is an eye depicted on them? “There are various theories about that,” says Dingeman. “You can come up with all sorts of ideas and opinions, but we don’t know. There is no documentation to support it. The eye is a powerful symbol. It’s likely that this symbol wasn’t chosen decoratively; there must really be a reason behind it. It’s extra fun that you can keep dreaming up ideas about it.”  

“This symbol is a logo that the city is being given as a gift,” says Dingeman. “We used the eye tile as the logo for Royal Roots. Royal Roots tells the story of the origins of the Dutch royal family. I always compare it to Star Wars,” says Dingeman. “First come episodes 1 to 4, and then comes the prequel. Royal Roots is the prequel to Dutch history, the story that came before it. We all know the royal story from Delft onwards, but its roots lie in Breda. It’s the most important story Breda has to tell. And we want to make that story accessible to everyone and tell it through Royal Roots.”

Would you like to admire Breda’s eye tiles? You can! They are on display at the Stedelijk Museum Breda.