Patterns in Clay

For thousands of years, man has fired clay to build and decorate structures. Tile patterns can rival even the most intricate designs of any woven rug. Two popular styles of tile commonly seen in Galveston are Majolica (a glazed tile) and encaustic tile. Encaustic tile has been popular since the 13th Century, and saw a resurgence of interest in the Late Victorian Period. The tile gets its color from different colors of clay, instead of by applying the color in a glaze. This insures a longer lasting surface and makes this type ideal for floors.

National Park Service Technical Brief on Preserving Historic Ceramic Tile Floors: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief40.htm

Collection of encaustic tile patterns:
http://www.darwincountry.org/explore/001704.html


Helpful article from BuildingConservation.com
http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/tiles/tiles.htm


British site that describes different styles:
http://www.tile-heaven.co.uk/index.htm


South Carolina source for encostic and majolica tiles:
http://www.tile-source.com/