Batchelder, Los Angeles, CA 1909-1932 Great incised relief tile with a decorative, medieval-inspired foliate cross. The blue and brown engobe pops out against the creamy, stone background glaze. The central design is glazed in a beautiful matte mustard, one of Batchelder’s most prized colors. See this in Mr. Karlson’s Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles, Region [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Company, Los Angeles, CA 1919-1933 Bright, glossy glaze colors are eye catching on these vintage tiles from AET’s Los Angeles facility, where more colorful glazes were used to satisfy the California clientele. Thick brown lines separate the glazes, resulting in excellent color separation. Great Art Deco styling and can be arranged in [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Co., Zanesville, OH 1875-1935 Magnificent antique modeled clay panel from AET’s New York factory. The central image is a silhouette of a women with a cherub on either side. The high-gloss peach/buff glaze has a glass-like smooth surface, and there is crazing throughout, giving the piece an even older appearance. 18″ wide [...]
Standard Tile Company, Zanesville, OH 1923-1932 Very nice antique tile that came from Norman Karlson’s collection. Made using the raised-line method, this star tile has three matte glazes, medium blue, deep green and tan. This tile is illustrated on P.166 of his Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles, Region 3. 4 1/4″ square x 3/8″ [...]
Pewabic Pottery, Detroit, MI 1903-present The central fleur de lys and four corners are raised and have glossy, cobalt glazing, which contrasts nicely with the matte pale blue. This antique tile has the original Pewabic paper label and comes from Norman Karlson’s collection. See it in his Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles, Region 3, [...]
Kraftile Company, Niles (Fremont), CA 1926-1997 This Persian-inspired cuerda seca tile has Kraftile’s characteristic thick, opaque glaze and bold black resist lines. The intricate, polychrome design stands out brilliantly against the crisp, white ground. See this tile in Norman Karlson’s Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles, Region 5, page 149. 5″ square x 1/2″ thick Very [...]
Alhambra Kilns, Santa Monica, CA 1926-1937 Alhambra Kilns produced unglazed, terra cotta floor tiles, inserts, stair risers and ceiling tiles. This square relief tile depicts a lushly flowering vine or tree of life design inset in a circle bordered with stylized leaves. A sweet little antique tile. See this in the Encyclopedia of American Art [...]
Enfield Pottery, Enfield, PA 1906-1930 This relief tile in thick, unglazed red clay with high-glazed cobalt blue background depicts “Churning”, number 16 in a set of 20 tiles entitled “Incidents in the Days Work on the Farm”. The female figure is standing behind the churn with bowls on either side. Both this tile and the [...]
Enfield Pottery, Enfield, PA 1906-1930 The tiles from Enfield were quite varied, ranging from deeply molded figures on unglazed terra cotta to high-lione molded, glazed tiles. This antique tile depicts a hunter probably looking for the rabbit, which appears to be snickering behind his back. Roughly made with thick terra cotta and glazed [...]
Harikan Art Products, Matawan, NJ 1928-1941 Rare and delightful four-tile panel from Harikan. Harry Kahn, a master ceramist, founded this ceramics studio, crafting refined tube-lined art tiles and panels. This set depicts a charming swan and lily pond motif. It’s a great example of Harikan’s precise tube lining technique. The creamy smooth glazes in cheerful, [...]
Made in Spain, circa 1850 Antique Spanish ceramic tiles like these are fast becoming rarer and harder to find. Adding in the fact that these tiles are of the highest quality makes their scarcity even more dramatic. These frieze or border tiles in a spectacular polychrome cuenca depict a satyr (probably the god Pan) flanked [...]
Trent Tile Company, Trenton, NJ 1882-1939 Here is a pair of beautiful, vintage Trent majolica art tiles. These molded relief tiles depict two, elegantly attired court musicians of the Elizabethan era. The rich, bright, crackled glaze in a gorgeous gray-green pools into a deep jade green in the recesses. The design and modeling is of [...]
Standard Tile Company, Zanesville, OH 1923-1943 The Standard Tile Company produced mainly commercial wall tiles in addition to a smaller output of art tiles. This raised-line tile with a gracefully leaning palm tree, has naturalistically mottled, green fronds against a smooth, teal background. From the Normal Karlson collection, this tile is illustrated in his Encyclopedia [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Company, Zanesville, OH 1875-1935 This signed antique portrait relief tile depicts “L’Autumne” as a classical harvest goddess wearing a lush wreath of realistically modeled grape clusters and leaves. The rich, glossy mocha glaze enhances the depth and detail of this wonderful tile. We also have the “Ete” or Summer version. See this [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Company, Zanesville, OH 1875-1935 Lovely signed antique portrait relief tile depicts Summer (Ete) as a classical goddess of bounty wearing a wreath of wheat stalks, nicely modeled. The rich glossy mocha glaze intensifies the depth and many details of this Victorian tile. Crazing adds character to this wonderful tile. We also have [...]
Waco Tile, Clayton, WA c1830-1957 This rare, vintage tile was produced by The Washington Brick, Lime and Sewer Pipe Company . Marked “Waco”, it is an extremely fine example of the company’s Waco tile product line. This design is pictured as No. 105 in a period catalogue. the long-lived company was famed for its [...]
Harding Black, San Antonio, TX C1940-1990 Superlative Harding Black studio tile trivet portraying a friar gazing at a picturesque Southwestern-style mission. The signed 1944 piece dates from the period when Black was experimenting with advanced glaze formulas. Here we see the extraordinary range of rich, clear colors achieved by this consummate artist. Not content to [...]
Midland Terra Cotta, Cicero, IL C1910-1918 This is an exceptional vellum glazed architectural terra cotta tile. During its brief history, Midland supplied many significant projects including Chicago’s visionary Municipal Pier. Incorporating a virtual encyclopedia of Art Deco design motifs and glazed in a rich, bronze-like finish, this tile is an extraordinary expression of the golden [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Co., Zanesville, OH 1875-1935 Remarkable vintage panel by AET consisting of six 6×6 tiles. There are so many wonderful details to catch the eye, especially the overall design where one is viewing the outdoor scene thru an archway. The female figure, sitting on a rock among the trees, is lovingly petting the [...]
Mueller Mosaic Co., Trenton, NJ Herman Carl Mueller, one of the most acclaimed ceramists of his era, was affiliated with Mosaic Tile of Zanesville, OH before starting his own company in order to fulfill his own artistic vision. Mueller Mosaic tiles exhibit a superlative degree of craftsmanship combined with highly-skilled artistic design. This relief tile [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Co., Zanesville, OH 1875-1935 Wonderful vintage nursery rhyme tile from Norman Karlson’s collection. AET used the brown dry-line technique characteristic of only a handful of tile makers. The design is charmingly executed and the many glaze colors are complimentary. This tile was used in the Encyclopedia of American Art Tile, Region 3, [...]
J. & J.G. Low Art Tile Works, Chelsea, MA 1877-1902 Arthur Osborne emigrated from England to America in the 1870′s and worked for the J. and J. G. Low Art Tile Company, where he became the chief designer and modeler of low relief molded tiles which were press molded by hand and identified by [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Co., Los Angeles, CA 1919-1933 This very beautiful set of 3 contoured border tiles were made in the Los Angeles location of AET (Zanesville, OH). They are deeply molded and have very striking glossy glaze colors. Originally made to be on the top row of an installation, these tiles are unique [...]
Architectural Tiling Co., Keyport, NJ 1912-1960′s This raised-line tile depicts a bold Tudor Rose with a robin’s egg blue center. The creative juxtaposition of black and mustard against a brilliant cobalt blue background makes a delightful composition. See it in Norman Karlson’s Encyclopedia of American Art Tile, Region 2, P.133. 6″ square x 1/2″ [...]
American Encaustic Tiling Co., Zanesville, OH 1875-1935 Charming vintage AET printed transfer tile depicting the nursery rhyme, Baa-Baa Black Sheep. Very collectible and can be framed or installed to brighten a child’s room, or makes a sweet gift. See this tile in the Encyclopedia of American Art Tiles, Region 3 by Norman Karlson. 6″ square [...]
