Japanese Tiles

Japanese architectures have traditionally been made of wood, mud, and paper, and the Japanese have long cherished the beauty found in raw materials. Such taste was significantly different from the Western appreciation of beauty created through decorations, and it was only since the Meiji era (1868-1912) that the Japanese started adopting repetitious decor. The “hongyo” tiles made in Seto, the first full-fledged tiles made in Japan, were painted with cobalt-blue pigment on white, a style which originated in China, and were used to cover walls and floors of wet areas. Later, tiles imitating the Victorian tiles were produced in Japan, both for domestic use and for export to other Asian countries. Japanese tiles have since continued to evolve in its own way.

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  Tile with Carved Flower Design and Green Glaze

  Considered to be from the Todai-Ji Temple
  Mid-Nara Period (8th century)
  295 × 295 × 35 (mm)

  This tile is said to have been produced upon the construction of Todai-Ji Temple in the year 751. It is a Nara three-color ware, which was the first glazed pottery in Japan.

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  Seto-Hongyo Ware Tile with Design of Flowers in Underglaze Blue

  Meiji Period (19th - 20th century)
  147 × 147 × 18 (mm)

  In Seto, the new method to produce porcelain products introduced from Arita was called “shinsei” and the conventional style was called “hongyo”. The pattern of this tile was produced using transfer technology.

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  Tile with Rose Design in English Victorian Style

  Manufactured by: Danto.
  20th century

  Japan succeeded in the domestic production of dry-pressed multi-color decorative tiles, inspired by the Victorian tiles of England, around the beginning of the 20th century and continued production until the 1930s.