An 11.5m2 / 124 sq ft. Belgian ceramic Rebaix floor c.1920

An 11.5m2+ / 124 sq ft ceramic encaustic floor of 14cm / 5.5 inches sq. tiles in a cool palette of mid-grey, green and blue. Bearing a reverse capital 'R' stamp, the tiles were manufactured by Societe Anonyme Ceramiques Modernes Rebaix, Belgique and we date them as c.1920. 

The floor comes with its original same size back-to-back borders. All four internal border corner tiles have been reclaimed and two of the exterior border corners, but, given their geometry, the missing two can be mitre cut from the regular border tiles. 

The tiles form a strikingly refined and geometric floor layout, showcasing the elegance and structure typical of early 20th-century encaustic tilework. The floor embraces the theme of the 'faux-mosaique', introduced in the late 19th century and then becoming popular again in the 1920's, where the visual impression was of a floor made up of tens of thousands of small mosaic pieces when, in reality, the tiles were solid. The design is restrained and symmetrical, leaning toward an early Art Deco aesthetic and the central field tile displays a stylized four-leaf floral or clover-like motifs. These motifs alternate in blue and dark green, laid over a beige or taupe background. Each flower is framed within a diamond created by thin crossing lines that form a lattice/mosaic, which lends an organized and tessellated appearance to the overall field.

Surrounding the main section of the floor are same-sized borders that frame the pattern. These borders can be laid singularly or, as we have shown in the photo gallery, in duplicate back-to-back. The border design is of centralised interlocking diamond motifs, top and tailed by chevrons. Overall, the floor has a cool, calm palette and a formal structure that suggests a balance of decoration and discipline.

The motifs on this floor suggest influences from both Islamic geometric traditions and Victorian rationalist design, which were often merged in tilework of this period. In particular, the use of repeated geometric lattices and alternating floral elements recalls Moorish tile compositions seen in Andalusian architecture, but rendered here in a more industrial and subdued manner.

The tiles have restored well, as high-resolution photographs of a randomly selected section of them in the gallery display. Edge nibbles and grout-able small chips are evident on a few of these quality 15mm / 0.6-inch-thick ceramics.

The tiles will work well with underfloor heating systems and can be laid inside or outside the home as high summer and sub-zero winter temperatures will have no detrimental effect on this highly fired tile.

Tile quantities, give or take one or two:-

FIELD tiles – 500 – 10m2 / 108 sq ft.

LARGE BORDER tiles – 74 plus 7 corners – 1.6m2 / 17.4 sq ft. – 11.3 linear metres / 37.2 linear ft.*

*Halve the dimensions for a back-to-back lay as shown in the gallery.

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 tiles often 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.