$ 30.00
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Reclaimed French Terra Cotta tile from Burgundy
Burgundy Fromagerie 1875 is a reclaimed French terra cotta flooring lot we salvaged from an old fromagerie, or traditional cheese shop, in Burgundy, France. Dimensions are 6⅜" x 6⅜" x 1" thick, with the irregular edges, softly worn faces and individual variations characteristic of 19th-century hand-made and kiln-fired French terra cotta.
Burgundy has a centuries-old tradition of working with locally available clay. Historic tuileries and briqueteries throughout the region produced practical architectural materials for houses, farms, shops and village buildings, including bricks, roof tiles and handmade terra cotta flooring. Square antique terra cotta tiles from Burgundy survive today in dimensions and thicknesses comparable to this historic format throughout this region.
What distinguishes this lot is its remarkably nuanced color palette. Rather than the deeper reds associated with much of southern French terra cotta, these tiles move through dusty rose, faded salmon, pale ochre, warm biscuit and soft putty, interspersed with occasional smoky gray and muted violet-red firing tones. The variation is part of the beauty of traditional terra cotta. The natural composition of the clay affected its underlying color, while placement within the kiln and differences in firing could produce considerable variation from one tile to another.
For approximately 150 years, these tiles formed part of a working French interior. Their former life in an old Burgundy cheese shop is still visible in its patina surface. Small pits, mineral inclusions, worn edges, firing marks and subtle differences in texture are the accumulated character of handmade material that has survived generations of use.Installed together, the variations become a beautifully cohesive floor—a tapestry of old rose, cream, ochre, earth and smoke that feels unmistakably French and genuinely old.
Historically, French interiors were rarely defined by a single material. Oak floorboards could give way to terra cotta in kitchens and working rooms, with limestone and lime-plastered walls completing the architecture. Castle Combe Antiqued French Oak Flooring brings a pale, chalky softness to the deeper earthen palette of our Burgundy Fromagerie 1875 Reclaimed French Terra Cotta Tile. Creamy putty and flax-colored oak temper the tile’s faded rose, ochre, red clay and brown, while the linear grain of the wood provides a striking contrast to the irregular, hand-formed character of the antique tile. Together, the materials recall the understated transitions found within old French houses.
Dimensions: Approximately 6⅜" x 6⅜" x 1" thick
Provenance: Burgundy, France
Format: Square
In-Stock Lot: 552 SF
Recommended Sealer after Installation: Akemi Stone Impregnation for French Reclaimed Terra Cotta Tile Flooring
Cleaning and Maintenance: Vacuum, then clean with Black Soap (Savon Noir) to disinfect, maintain, protect and enhance patina.
