A 16m2 ceramic, between 112-145 yrs old, but with a strong mid-century modern aesthetic

 A 16m2 / 170 sq ft handmade antique Belgian ceramic floor in a cool palette and consisting of a principal field tile and a same size large border. Both tiles are 16cm sq.

The floor was manufactured by Carrelages Céramiques de Chimay, Maufroid  & Soeur, Rue Poncet, Bourlers, Henegouwen, Belgium, who later became: S.A. :La Céramique de Bourlers (ancienne usine Maufroid). Maufroid Freres et Soeur traded as such between 1879 and 1912 and the tiles display on their reverse the Maufroid rings and centralised 'M'. We show in the photo gallery scans from the period Maufroid Freres et Soeur catalogue presenting the tiles.

While the tiles are between 112 years and 145 years old the design has a strong mid-century modern feel to the aesthetic. We have reclaimed 6 of the 8 large border corners that are required to lay the borders as a double back-to-back lay, as shown in the photo gallery, but the missing two can easily be mitre cut from the regular border tiles. 

The floor has a lovely patina with some tiles displaying small chips or nibbles, expected of a floor of this age, and which can be seen in the high resolution photographs taken of a random 1.25m2 section of the floor. There are surface capillary cracks on a small number of tiles which were caused when the tiles left the kiln and the edges were exposed to a humid environment while drying. 

Cleaned of their old mortar and years of old wax they have restored beautifully and arrive ready to relay. As a highly fired ceramic they can be laid inside or outside the home as well as being suitable for use with under floor heating systems.

This is a unique antique floor and one full of character,  one we last came across over ten years ago. The previous one is now gracing the floor and walls of Duke's Coffee Roasters in Melbourne, Australia. Click on the link here to see some photographs of its installation.

Tile quantities by tile type:-

Field tiles - 515 - 13.2m2 / 43.3 sq ft

Large border tiles - 106 (2 external and 4 internal corners) - 2.86m2 / 9.4 sq ft - 9 linear metres / 29.5 linear feet*

*based on a back to back lay of the borders, as shown. Double the lengths if a single border lay is preferred.

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.