A gothic design on a rare type of tile,
glazed encaustic, the most durable tiles and an
expensive manufacturing process. All the colours
are in the clay as with encaustic tiles used for
floors but this is glazed to provide an easy
clean surface, such tiles were the best for
fireplace hearths as this was used. Whilst
higher firing temperatures for clays rather than
glazes or stains restricted the colour palette
this has an astounding seven clay colours. A
great tile for use as a pot stand etc, very
tough and will stand some usage, already has a
few marks so not to worry about a few more over
time.
It is quite rare to find glazed encaustic
tiles they were best suited and almost
exclusively used for hearths which are
relatively small areas. Encaustic so all the
qualities of floor tiles inckuding frostproof,
glazed for ease of cleaning. Glazed surfaces of
course being unsuited for flooring as very
slippery when wet, glazed encaustics being
rather expensive for wall tiles and not as
colourful as other techniques. Also probably
being of a quite early date due to the similar
effect obtained with much lower cost underglaze
block printing. It is hearth thickness at half
an inch and dense buff clay so quite a
substantial tile.
Verso very clean, unmarked generic ring
pattern, very probably Malkin or Boote, pattern
number incised.