Un Village de Rouen French Reclaimed Terra Cotta Tile Hexagon - PA 217

Dimensions: 6" x 7" x 1" thick

In-Stock: 212 SF - FOB West Hatfield, MA   

Provenance: Rouen, France

Cost - $30.00/SF 

Located in northern France along la Seine, Rouen was one of the most prosperous cities in the Middle Ages due to the textile and tile factories and river trade. The lot we present today of a 150-year old French reclaimed terra cotta tile hexagon from a village just outside of Rouen is rich in history, varied color, texture and patina.  The colors range from on-trend taupe to smoke gray, and aubergine to light and darker hues of terra cotta clay color and red.  It's a warm/cool palette that could marry well with quiet or more saturated color interiors.  What's unique about this lot is some of the tiles have a marbling effect where artisans would mix two different colored clays to mimic marble or agate.  The working of marbled pottery can be traced back at least to Rome 1st century ad.  Interesting how this technique carried it's way to France 18th-19th century.  The patina and edge detail are excellent which means the artisans who hand crafted this terra cotta tile were exacting in their craft.  One can achieve an elegant and historic installation with tight grout lines due to the beautiful regularity of the clay's thickness and straight edges.

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.