12.5m2+ antique ceramic Douzies Maubege French floor 1909

A delicately designed floral themed antique French ceramic encaustic floor, dated 1909, reclaimed from the reception room of a period Maison Maitre in Crespin, north France.

The floor totals 12.5m2 / 134.5 sq ft. in surface area.

15cm sq, these ceramic encaustic tiles were individually handmade in single tile moulds by Societe Anonyme, Gare de Douzies, Maubege. We include in the photo gallery scans from their original period catalogue in our possession presenting the floors three principal tiles. The ceramic is excellent and the freeform design and palette give a hand-painted feel to each tile. Both the same size border and twin half size borders are present although the large border corners will require mitre cutting from the regular borders.

The tiles have cleaned well and are in very good condition; there are occasional small chips and nibbles present but the high resolution photographs are an accurate representation of what is a pretty and unique period floor. Being ceramic encaustic the tiles can be laid inside the house, on floor or walls, but also potentially outside on a patio, a garden path, in a summer kitchen or conservatory where the design would beautifully link to a garden...

Tile quantities, give or take one or two:-

Field tiles – 436 - 9.8m2 / 106 sq ft.

Large border tiles – 58 - 1.3m2 / 14 sq ft. - 8.7 linear metres / 28.5 linear ft.

Small border tiles – 130 - 1.5m2 / 16 sq ft. - 19.5 linear metres / 53,5 linear ft.

NOTE
Antique tiles were most commonly made in single or two tile moulds. Before current computer automation methods their moulds were made by hand and the colour slips mixed by eye. Kiln temperatures could also be variable, as could the firing time. The result is that often tiles display subtle size and thickness variations and there can be tonal variations in colours, owing to the slip mixing and/or firing time. All of this makes these handmade tiles unique and adds to their charm. Some floors display their subtle variations in size and tones, some not, but when photographing we always take a random section of the floor so that it is representative of the whole. A tiler should always dry lay a section of the tiles to familiarise himself with them before starting to fix lay.