9.4m2 Boulenger handmade tiles - late 1860's

A rare find, a handmade late 19th century Societe Anonyme de Produits Ceramiques BOULENGER, Auneuil gres cerame floor. Consisting of two field tiles, laid in a damier style, and a same size border tile they are all 14cm sq and 15mm thick. There are no border corner tiles with the floor as the borders did not frame the floor in its hallway but were laid as vertical runs on two sides. If corner tiles are required for the borders they can easily be mitre cut from the regular borders.

The floor totals 9.4m2 / 101 sq ft.

The design and palette are immediately recognisable as Boulenger as they principally worked in three colours namely black, ochre and sang de boeuf.

Individually handmade in small batches the tiles were often signed on their side by the worker and we have included an example in the photo gallery. Concerning their production, the tiles were highly fired and loaded into the kiln standing back to back with two strips of metal paper separating the two tiles and once fired and cooled the metal strips were then pulled apart and the tiles separated themselves. The reverse of the tiles show where the two metal paper strips were.

This 150+ year old floor has cleaned well and reveals a rich antique patina as evidenced in the small randomly selected section of the floor we have photographed. There are some tiles bearing chips, all groutable and all adding to the floors charm and uniqueness. Each tile literally has its own surface character.

While production has long since ceased from the golden epoch that was French tile ceramics, we have also included in the photo gallery a photograph of the Boulenger family house and tile museum in Auneuil, both well adorned on their facades with the best of their production. As well as gracing churches and state buildings in the late 19th and early 20th century famous clients included Claude Monet, who’s house at Giverny has only Boulenger floors or wood parquet.

Boulenger tiles were made from Gres Cerame or Stoneware as its called in English, a clay which has a surface porosity that, in order to keep the tiles low maintenance from a cleaning perspective, means they should be sealed once laid. Sealant is a low cost, clear, easy to apply product which does not change the aspect of the tile but does protect against staining and makes cleaning by a regular mopping or steam cleaning machine easier. Each sealant coat will last around five years.

We have two other Boulenger floors available which can be seen if you click here and here.

Tile quantities:-

Black tiles - 210 tiles - 4.1m2 / 44.3 sq ft.

Sang de Boeuf tiles - 210 tiles - 4.1m2 / 44.3 sq ft.

Border tiles - 57 tiles - 1.1m2 / 12 sq ft. - 8 linear metres / 26 linear ft.