A handmade Saint Ghislain ceramic with double borders - 1897

A reclaimed and now fully restored Belgian ceramic, manufactured in 1897 by Societe Anonyme Companie Generale Produits Ceramiques Saint Ghislain Belgique, the floral themed floor consists of two separate field tiles, one tile framing the second (the motif of which opens out in a four tile tessellation). The borders tiles, one same size and one half size, are fluid and ornate with the large border embracing a flowing lace theme.

The floor totals c.18m2 / 194 sq. ft.

We present in the photo gallery a randomy selected section of around 1m2 of the floor as well as scans from the 1897 Saint Ghislain catalogue introducing the floor. Additionally, and now long gone, a sepia photograph of the Saint Ghislain factory where the tiles were handmade in twin moulds by some of the several hundred employees in what would have been a slow and labour intensive process. The floor has restored well, as the photographs testify, and is in very good condition with only a small number displaying edge nibbles or small groutable chips. 

This is a charming floor, a quality 15cm sq ceramic that is both easy on the eye but full of detail and being a highly fired tile it can be laid inside or outside of the home.

Tile quantities, give or take one or two:-

Field tiles – 'Internal motif tile' - 315 - 7m2 /  75 sq ft.

Field tiles - 'Framing tile' - 325 - 7.3m2 / 79 sq ft.

Large border tiles -  95 plus 4 corners – 2.2m2 / 23.7 sq ft. –  14.4 linear metres / 47.2 linear ft.

Half size border tiles - 135 plus 3 corners - 1.5m2 / 16.5 sq ft. - 20.4 linear metres / 67 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.