A 17m2 to 19.2m2+ handmade Boch Freres ceramic 1860-1905

A handmade antique Boch Freres Maubeuge ceramic dating c.1860-1905 of 17.2cm sq field and large border tiles and a half size 17.2cm x 8.6cm border. These impressive ceramics are 2cm thick and weigh over 1.4kgs each. The floor has been reclaimed from a Maison de Maitre close to Cambrai in northern France, an hour or so away from where they were originally manufactured in Maubeuge and the tiles bear the reverse stamp BOCH FRERES MAUBEUGE.

Now fully restored and ready to relay we show in the photo gallery the principal lay of the floor, which totals 17m2 / 183 sq ft. in surface area, but also include in addition a rare Boch Freres border series that was laid in an annexe to the reception room of the house. Beautiful, in its ornate flowing design and offering close to 13 linear metres in length, this border is optional to the floors purchase and adds a total of 2.1m2 / 22.6 sq ft. in surface area.

The ceramic is excellent, the slip is deep, some tiles display edge nibbles or small groutable chips and there is some tonal variation of the tiles, all adding to the charm of handmade pre-computer production. In addition to scans of the tiles in the original Boch Freres, Maubeuge catalogue edition of 1881 we have also included in the gallery some photographs of the field tiles on the walls of the Moorish themed Okapi House at Antwerp Zoo. Antwerp Zoo was built in 1843 and the Okapi House, 1860.

A floor for which we have more of the identical field tiles available there is the oppportunity to create a larger c.41m2 / 440 sq ft. floor. Click here for more details.

We will be happy to look at the potential fit and recommend the aesthetic lay of the floor without obligation.

Tile quantities by tile type:-

FIELD TILES -  380 - 11.25m2 /  121sq ft.

LARGE BORDER TILES -  145 plus border 4 corners - 4.4m2 /  47.5 sq ft or 25.6 linear metres / 84 linear ft.

SMALL BORDER TILES -  92 plus 4 border corners - 1.4m2 /  15.3 sq ft or 16.2 linear metres / 53.1 linear ft.

OPTIONAL BORDER TILES - 68 plus 3 border corners - 2.1m2 /  22.6 sq ft or 12.2 linear metres / 40 linear ft.

NOTE:-
Antique tiles were most commonly made in single or two tile moulds. Before current computer automation methods their moulds were made my 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.