Magnificent and rare Douvrin floor c.1900 - 18m2

 A magnificent, complete and rare Douvrin ceramic encaustic floor of 15.5cm square tiles, complete with its original same size borders, which are laid in triplicate. The main photographs show the floor with its orginal triple border tile layout and there are a couple of photographs also showing the central burgundy tile removed for a double back to back lay, should a less ornate or smaller width border be desired. The three borders together are 47cm / 18 inches in width.

The floor has been reclaimed from the entrance hall of a bourgeois house in Beugin, Nord-Pas-de-Calais and dates from the early part of the twentieth century. Both the main field tile and border series embrace the same palette with the simple vegetal theme of the main field tile giving way to indulgent and ornate border framing. A scan below shows elements of the floor in the Douvrin catalogue of 1905. The floor, which was handmade in individual moulds, totals in excess of 18m2 / 194 sq ft and is exquisitely detailed in in its design, as can be seen in the high resolution photographs below, with small design elements on the tiles displaying an almost brush stoke finish. The floor is in very good condition; the ceramic is excellent, the colours consistent and crisp and the patina everything one would expect of a floor over 100 years old; some tiles displaying edge nibbles and others small capiliary cracks which were formed when the tiles left the kiln.

Being highly fired they can be laid inside or outside of the home and used with underfloor heating systems. Once laid a sealing is not required and a simple regular washing is all that is needed to retain their beauty and lustre.

Tile quantities, give or take one or two:-

Main field tiles - 475 - 11.4m2

Burgundy border - 96 (plus 1 corner tiles) - 2.33m2 or 15 linear metres / 49+ linear feet

Looped border - 177 (plus 8 corner tiles) - 4.44m2 or 14.6 linear metres / 47.5+ linear feet (double lay)