A run of antique Boch Freres border tiles - 1881

Ideal as a decorative feature, a kitchen or bathroom splashback or, given their excellent resistance to heat, as a practical and beautiful feature in a chimney breast or Aga inglenook, a series of antique ceramic half and full size borders.

The tiles were manufactured in 1881 by the multiple award winning ceramic house of Carrelages Ceramiques Boch Freres, Maubeuge, France. The large border takes its inspiration from the Roman Villa at Nenning in the Saarland region of Germany, close to the French and Luxemburg borders. We include photos of the mosaic floors from the villa in the photo gallery. 

The large border tiles have a relief 'cooky cutter' surface and are +/- 17.2cm sq, weighing over 1.4kgs each (nearly 7 inches and 3lbs)

There are 30 large border tiles and 62 small border tiles providing for a total linear length of over 5 metres / 17 linear feet and a width of 34cm / 14.4 inches based on the top and tail configuration in the photographs.

There is the possibility to split the tiles by taking only the large or small borders.

NOTE
Antique tiles were most commonly made in single or two tile moulds. Before current computer automation methods their moulds were made my 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.