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Antique dealer Miguel Barreto de Lara, partner at D'Orey Azulejos, one of Lisbon's most famous, family-owned antique shops, is an expert in tiles and azulejos: the traditional, hand-painted ceramic tiles iconic to Portugal and Spain. Miguel shares with Cabana two of his most important tiles: his greatest find and the tile he'll keep forever.
BY SARA PIERDONÀ | MASTERS & MUSES | 25 FEBRUARY 2026
Antique dealer Miguel Barreto de Lara, owner ofD'Orey Azulejos, Lisbon.
One of Lisbon's most famous antique shops, D'Orey Azulejos has a façade decorated with blue awnings and white letters, characteristic of the azulejos which have been the essence of their family-owned business for generations.
Popular with both casual tourists and connoisseurs alike, the azulejos sold by D'Orey may be 500-years-old, but they have lost none of their lustre, quite the contrary. Partner and antique dealer, Miguel Barreto de Lara, shares his two favorite pieces.
The Piece I'll Keep Forever: Armillary sphere tile, 16th century, Moorish tile technique
The shop began not as a business, but as a vast private collection of my uncle, Manuel d’Orey Capucho, who is the founder and main partner of d’Orey Azulejos. Two generations ago, it was much easier to buy antique tiles as conservation laws had not come into force, so tiles were simply removed from buildings' facades.
This particular tile has been handed down in my family from father to son for so long that we have forgotten its origin. It is one of the rarest tiles to own and is highly sought after by collectors. The symbol represented is linked to King Manuel I and the Age of Discovery, when Portuguese ships began to map the world. The king became passionate about Spanish ceramics and the so-called Moorish style, full of geometric repetitions.
It was under his kingdom that the construction of the famous palace of Sintra was ordered, and that tile making flourished in Portugal. King Manuel I also wanted this specific symbol represented: the armillary sphere, an important instrument of navigation. Every time a collector sees this tile, they die of envy! Ever since we have owned it, we have received offers [from collectors and dealers], but we will never sell it.
My Greatest Find: Camelia patterned tiles, 17th century, majolica technique
One day, we were contacted by the heirs of a man who had been an incredible collector, but also an eccentric person, who had used his priceless pieces to cover an entire house in Alentejo (I mean: every single wall), near the ocean. This made the house almost impossible to put on the market, so his descendants decided to break up the collection and called us. For us, it was an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Extremely rare tiles were available, because the house, being recent and non-traditional, was not subject to protection restrictions.
The quantity, combined with the quality, was breathtaking. The removal work was very long and delicate, because the tiles had to be removed from the wall, and they were all stuck together. This group of 17th century Camelia patterned tiles, creating using the majolica technique, belongs to that house. It is a very rare composition with camellias, inspired by the Orient. Its colours make it even rarer: the green used is one of the first proven introductions of color in Portuguese tiles. It is a work of art.
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Cabana Magazine N24
Covers by Morris & Co.
This issue will transport you across countries and continents where craft and culture converge. Evocative travel portfolios reveal Japan's elegant restraint, Peru's sacred churches ablaze with color, and striking architecture in a fading Addis Ababa. Inspiring minds from the late Giorgio Armani to Nikolai von Bismarck spark curiosity, while exclusive homes—from the dazzling Burghley House in England and an Anglo-Italian dream in Milan, to a Dionysian retreat in Patmos and a historic Pennsylvania farmhouse—become portals that recall, evoke and transport.
