A comprehensive, full-color exploration of tile art and production worldwide, from earliest times to the present day. The book is both an authoritative work of reference and a visual delight, ranging from ancient Greece, where the first fired roof tiles date from as early as the third millennium BC, to twentieth-century Mexico. Along the way we encounter stunning examples of the tiler's art: the enormous English medieval floor pavements from Byland Abbey and Clarendon Palace; figural tiles from China, intended to adorn roofs and ward off evil; the famous Iznik tiles from the Islamic world, with their richly decorative patterns; the highly stylised ceramic tiles of the Arts and Crafts movement; and the tiles created by some of the finest ceramic artists and potters of the twenty-first century. Placing the tiles firmly in their historical and cultural context, the book highlights both continuity and diversity, the dissemination of techniques and designs, and how tile art in one time and place has inspired and rejuvenated those in others. Tiles are also studied in terms of function as well as form, and the full range of architectural and practical purposes for which they have been used - from floors to roofs, stoves to bathrooms, cathedrals to metro stations - will be explored, along with the various techniques employed to create such versatile pieces. 5000 Years of Tiles is the essential, most comprehensive single volume for anyone interested in the ceramic, decorative, and architectural arts.

Ceramic tiles have a special look when crafted with the millennia-old cuerda seca method. This guide provides all the how-to info you need to bring the fascinating method to life, covering every aspect of the process from the equipment and tools to formulating the right clay body to final installation.

Handmade Tile is a contemporary guide for ceramic artists and anyone interested in custom tile installations—from making, designing, and decorating to designing your space and installation. No matter how many years of experience you have as a ceramic artist or how many home-improvement projects you've tackled, nothing prepares you for the unique world of ceramic tile. From concept and design, through firing and installation, ceramic tiling is one of the few places in a home where art is permanently installed as a feature of a room. In Handmade Tile, Forrest Lesch-Middelton shares everything he's learned as the founder and owner of the custom tile business FLM Ceramics and Tile. From his years as a one-man operation to his current production facility, Forrest has seen it all and helps you every step of the way. Whether you want to make your own tile, or want to use artistic and custom-made tile in your home, this book has everything you need. Key features of the book include: Making Tile: key tools, rolling, cutting, extruding Decorating: glazes, image transfer, cuerda seca, underglaze, slip Designing Your Space: tile in context, choosing your tile, codes and standards Installation: removing old tile, backing, preparing surfaces, setting, grouting Galleries and interviews with today's top workings artists in tile round out the package. Featured artists include Allison Bloom, Boris Aldridge, Disc Interiors, PV Tile, and more.

A luxurious survey of the cutting edge of tile design and usage, profiling 70 contemporary designers and makers.

From Heath Ceramics, the beloved California designer, maker, and seller of home goods, comes a captivating and unprecedented look at beautifully designed interiors where tile is an important and integral part of the design. Tile Makes the Room, by Heath’s owners Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey, winners of the National Design Award from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, is about exceptional spaces and places—the kind you want to step into and examine each and every detail of—where tile is the main ingredient, though not the only star. From the dwellings of notable designers to everyday homeowners, grand installations and subtle designs all showcase tile’s role in the form and function of architecture and interiors. The book, for design professionals and aficionados alike, features inspiration on every page; a look at tile making; a unique perspective on color, pattern, and texture; and public installations around the world to visit and enjoy, Tile Makes the Room is essential reading on interiors and tile.

A dazzling visual history of ceramic tiles from around the world and across the centuries. This striking book gathers together an extensive collection of ceramic tiles from around the world and explores their rich history, purpose, and decorative qualities. For centuries, tiles have been used for both functional and aesthetic purposes on the fac¸ades and interiors of buildings. Found in a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors, and designs—ranging from complex geometrical Islamic patterns to figurative seventeenth-century delftware—tiles are among the most varied ceramic products. This luxurious source book, curated by the award-winning studio Here Design, is organized chronologically and features tiles in every variety of shape, displaying each individual tile type and its overall laid pattern in vivid color. Tiles are also shown in situ around the world and at different periods in their remarkable history. The Tile Book is a dazzling mosaic, with colors and patterns that will uplift and inspire.