RARE - Small, antique French ceramic Perrusson floor

A small, 3.9m2 to 5m2 antique ceramic floor dating from the late 19th century, reclaimed, along with three other ceramic floors, from the renovation of a bourgeois house close to Macon in the Saone-et-Loire department of Burgundy. These large, 17.3cm square, 15mm thick tiles are all reverse stamped with a 9 dot motif and manufacturer, 'Perrusson Ecluses'. The floor comprises of a main motif themed field tile in sky blue, cornflower blue and amber on a mid grey fond. There are two border options available; a full size strongly geometric border in a warm palette and a half size domino themed border of the same blue as the field tiles. There are 3 corner tiles available for the large border series and 4 for the half size. We have taken photographs below showing the floor with its full size and half size borders as well as both together. This is a good quality gres ceramic with a deep slip and consistent colours. 

The floor dates from the latter part of the 19th century and has cleaned well revealing an excellent ceramic and a beautiful antique patina where on a number of tiles there are edge nibbles and small groutable chips. The high resolution photographs below are of a random section of c.1.25m2 of the floor and show the beauty of a rare antique tile of this heritage.

Being a highly fired ceramic the floor can be laid inside or outside of the home and can of course be laid with underfloor heating systems as they are excellent retainers and distributors of heat.

We have included below a scan from an antique Perrusson tile catalogue showing the main field tile.

Tile quantities, give or take one or two:-

Field tiles - 80 tiles - 2.4m2 / 26 sq ft

Domino Half borders - 70 tiles plus 4 corners  - 1m2 / 10.7 sq ft. or 12.1 linear metres / 39.7 linear ft.

Geometric Full size borders - 47 tiles plus 3 corners - 1.4m2 / 15 sq ft. or  8.7 linear metres / 28.5 linear ft.

Plus free tile reject offcuts.

Ceramiques Perrusson, Ecluses

A brief history

Jean-Marie Perrusson was not only known for ceramic tile production but also for the production of bricks and roof tiles. Many of the lozenge themed terracotta mechanical tiles in Burgundy bear the Perrusson hallmark. He built his first brick making factory in 1860 and started mechanical tile production in 1863, to which he added a workshop for manufacturing ceramic tiles in 1875. Further expansion of the ceramic tile production in the Saône-et-Loire was initiated (in Saint-Julien-sur-Dheune in 1866, St. Pantaleon 1870), and even beyond the department (in Sancoins Cher in 1870 and Fontafié in Charente in 1878).

The company was renamed ‘Perrusson Fils et Desfontaines’ in 1890 and the factory also manufactured architectural ceramics and statues. In April 1960 the factory finally closed its doors. The vast majority of the original buildings constructed in 1890/1900 are destroyed with the offices, changing rooms of the factory, the concierge and the electrical workshop the only significant remnants of the site that can still be seen. We have included some photographs below of the factory both recently and from the period  of its peak.

The Perrusson factory employed 40 workers in 1860, 80 by 1874, 130 in 1890, 300 at its peak in 1900, 280 in 1930 and 130 during 1945 to 1950.