A 17m2 / 183 sq ft. Societe Amay art nouveau ceramic

This exceptional antique Belgian ceramic floor is a lyrical homage to the Art Nouveau movement—where nature unfurls through design and colour becomes storytelling. Manufactured in the early twentieth century by Société Anonyme AMAY in Belgium, this 17m² / 183 sq ft floor has been exquisitely restored and is ready to be relaid, bringing with it the grace and geometry of a bygone era.

At the heart of the floor is an elaborate tessellation: each 14cm / 5.5 inch sq tile contributes to a four-tile motif that reveals a polka-dot-framed cross, blooming with stylized floral elements. The composition echoes the styling and vegetal inspiration so characteristic of Art Nouveau—where even symmetry bends toward the language of nature. This is not mere ornamentation; it’s a historical statement underfoot.

What makes this floor truly sing is its palette—a cool, romantic medley of sky blue, soft leafy green, vieux rose, off-white, and charcoal, tones that echo garden and nature. The half-sized borders (14cm x 7cm), set delicately between the field tile and the full-sized outer borders, add refinement and architectural clarity without disrupting the fluid poetry of the design. And with all four border corner tiles present, the composition forms a complete, cohesive frame.

Given its high firing and dense ceramic composition, the tiles are suited to both indoor and outdoor environments—from conservatories steeped in botanical light to garden paths that mingle scent and shade. It's also fully compatible with underfloor heating, seamlessly blending old-world craftsmanship with modern comfort.

The condition is superb: each tile has undergone individual restoration, and any minor edge nibbles or small chips can be found on only a small number of tiles, all are easily groutable. High-resolution photographs of a randomly selected section of the floor reveals the subtle patina and historic character of the floor.

This isn’t just a floor—it’s a canvas of early modern elegance, shaped by one of Belgium’s fine ceramic houses and rooted in a creative philosophy that sought beauty in every design. 

Removed from the same house we have another Societe Amay floor of c.8m2 in the same palette but with a subtly different field tile and introducing a different half size border. The same size border is identical to this one. This presents opportunities to use both of the floors in different areas. More details on the floor can be found if you click here.

Tile quantities by tile type:-

FIELD tiles -  700 - 14m2 / 151 sq. ft

LARGE BORDERS - 100 plus 4 corners – 2m2 /  21.5 sq.ft or 14.6 linear metres or 47.8 linear ft

HALD-SIZE BORDERS - 90 plus 4 corners - 0.9m2 / 9.7 sq.ft or 12.6 linear metres or 41.3 linear ft.

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.