c.7m2 of carreaux de ciments tiles in mustard and lilac c.1910

7m2 / 80 sq ft of antique carreaux de ciments floor tiles with a double border configuration, reclaimed from a village house close to Moissac in Lot et Garonne. The tiles date c.1910, the date of the construction of the house.

The design is centralised around a classical tessellation of repeating linked circles but the palette is warm in lilac, burnt red and mustard. The floor has a double border configuration but could also be laid as a single run with effect.

The tiles have a rich patina, like most antique carreaux de ciments floors. Some bear small chips and nibbles, some have some surface crackling and each tile has cleaned in a different way. There are some white specks which appear primarily on the field tile. This is simply the marble dust used in the cement composition showing through on the surface of the tile and amongst the high resolution photographs below, showing a random sample of the floor, we have included one such tile, which has a lot of these specks.

Both the borders and the field tiles are 20cm sq and 2cm thick and being carreaux de ciments are only suitable for internal use or laying in a climate where there is no risk of freezing and thawing. The floor arrives ready to relay having had old mortar removed and their faces restored and will require sealing and/or waxing once laid.

Field tiles - 83 tiles - 3.3m2 / 35.5 sq ft.

Border tiles - 94 tiles - 3.75m2 / 40.4 sq ft. or 18.8 linear metres / 61.6 linear ft.

There are 5 internal corner tiles and 2 external corner tiles, so some mitre cutting of borders will be required at the relaying stage.