Tiles are an immensely popular and practical item for many homeowners and interior designers. Let’s take a look at the countries that are famous for their tiles.
There exists many extraordinary designs, colors and many architectural wonders throughout the world. A lot of these were made with the use of tiles. Some of the most beautiful and stunning aesthetic accomplishments of humankind include some form of tile designs within them. It is truly remarkable how the varieties of cultures around the world have so much to offer in terms of design, fashion and style. Take a look at one of the traditional Indian building designs that are accompanied by the extraordinary mosaic patterns and you will see how much they have influenced design patterns throughout the world.
The purpose of this article is to take a much more comprehensive and closer look at countries that are famous for their tiles. These are countries that were the birthplace of many different types of tiles and we will also take a closer look at why they are so popular among many home and business owners till today. England may have set a notion of design with their Victorian style and aesthetics but it is important to remember that they are not the arbiter of culture and there were many other places whose designs have also been as much, if not more, influential in the world of tiles.
Spain
When the initial expansion the Caliphate of Umayyad over Hispania was over, and the ensuing conquest, Spain was introduced to a lot of new techniques for manufacturing tiles. Spain was the first in Europe who employed these techniques, the first country in Europe to do so. The result of this was simple. Spain made better tiles than the rest of Europe at the time.
What comes to mind when you think of Spanish floor tiles? The very likely thing that would come to your mind is possibly splashes of color that are vibrant, swirls that are geometric and in select patterns, motifs of flowers and some symbols. Tiles designed in Spain have gained a lot of popularity in the tiling market in recent years. This has mainly been due to the fact that their designs are very unique and pleasing to the eye. These designs are known to incorporate mosaic patterns with designs that are extremely intricate.
Spain is also world famous for their expression through colours in their tile designs. These designs were a direct result of the introduction of Islamic culture and Arabic design in the 8th century.
Even before the arrival of the Islamic and Arabic cultural influences, Spain was still making tiles that were very popular still. The artisans of Spain used to craft breathtakingly beautiful tiles whose main objective and goal was to decorate churches around the country. These stunning use of tiles can still be seen in Spain today. These use of tiles in Church designs was also highly influential on both home and business owners who started to incorporate these designs into their interiors and exteriors as well.
Italy
Tiles that are made in Italy have long been heralded as being some of the best in the world. Italy is home to many of the most well reputed design studios in the world. The term, “Made in Italy” really does have a very significant impact on consumers around the world. It is deemed to be a sign of quality and luxury.
Just like the other European countries, the way Italy’s tile designs and production are made today is also heavily influenced by the early Arabian’s ingenuity with clay tiles. This does date back to about the 9th Century BC. Around the time of the 13th century, pottery and the production of tile was heavily influenced by the techniques of Spain. Their tile production techniques of Spain had reached the artisans and designers of Sicily and Rome.
A lot of the tiles that are made in Italy make use of the Hispano-Moorish technique. The Churches and monasteries, the homes of the wealthier citizens, were soon starting to be decorated with the tin-glazed tiles that were so innovative. The tiles that were glazed white and were covered with clay were becoming very popular as these were tiles that could be painted in many colors that were vivid and also had the potential for designs and patterns that were handmade.
Italian tiles are all about meticulous precision and also of luxury. When it comes to the tiles for floors, they are the real deal in terms of attention to detail.
Turkey
The ceramics that are found in Turkey are some of the oldest in the world and they are all very heavily influenced by the world of design and also the manufacturing methods throughout the world.
Around the 13th Century, the tiles were made use of in only places that were thought to be high in stature. These included things such as palaces, mosques and also tombs. Tiles were used exclusively in places where people worshipped. One of the reasons behind this was that so the sound could resonate in the time of prayer. There were also specific tiles that were made solely for this purpose. These tiles were called the Iznik tiles that were made in the Turkish city of the same name.
There was a rise to prominence of a number of colors over the years. Some of the most popular ones included cobalt blue, turquoise, black and deeper purple. These tiles were available in both glazed and unglazed designs. The tiles that were of the colorful underglaze painted variety were mainly used in places where people worshipped. This means that they are installed in some of the most prestigious and places of high stature in the city of Istanbul.
These tiles are also produced in a number of different shapes including square, hexagonal and sometimes even triangular shapes. Probably the most famous technique that the Turks are known for were the mosaic tiles.