9.6m2 Gilliot Hemiksem mosaic themed floor with double borders c.1920

A 9.6m2 / 103 sq ft antique ceramic Belgian floor produced by Gilliot Hemiksem and dated c.1920. Reclaimed from a town house close to Namur in Belgium the reverse of the tiles are marked ‘H’ and in addition to the high resolution photographs of a section of the floor below we have also included a scan from the publication ‘Industriele Tegels 1840-1940’ showing the border corner tile of the floor.

Mosaic in inspiration across all the three tiles that make up the floor the main field tiles and same size borders are 14cm square with the border series framed by a half size tile of 14cm x 7cm.

In a fond of off-white the floor opens to produce a classical tessellation of an ornate cross motif in a sea green with burnt red and mustard present in the centre of the motif. The mosaic themed border tiles again feature fluid lines and curves in burnt red and sea green but on a mauve background. This is a striking floor, classical in its form yet full of expression and it is only the second time in ten years that we have come across the design. The first floor was purchased for the washroom of a music studio in London and its creative lay, both on wall and floor, can be seen in the photographs below.

Old mortar to their reverses having been removed and years of old wax and dirt cleaned from their faces they now reveal a good quality ceramic and colours that are crisp and consistent. A small number of tiles display edge nibbling and small chips, all of which are grout-able and which add to the charming patina of the floor. Delivered in an insulated box pallet they are ready to relay and being a highly fired ceramic are suitable for laying inside or outside of the home, where, inside they will work very efficiently with under-floor heating systems.

Tile quantities, give or take one or two:-

Main field tiles – 290 – 5.8m2 / 62.5 sq. ft

Large border tiles – 110 plus 4 corners – 2.3m2 / 25 sq. ft or 16.2 linear meters / 53.3 linear ft.

Small border tiles – 150 plus 5 corners – 1.5m2 / 16.6 sq. ft or 21.3 linear meters / 70 linear ft.