Wear, tear and the passage of thousands of feet have left a palette of rich reds, oranges, pinks, yellows - and even greens - on the surface of the medieval inlaid or encaustic tiles in the ancient pavement of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon at Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France. Many still display remnants of inlaid heraldic devices such as the fleur-de-lis, the emblem of the French crown. Laon Cathedral was built in French Gothic style in the 12th and early 13th centuries.
Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France: wear, tear and the passage of thousands of feet over the centuries have left a palette of rich reds, oranges, pinks, yellows - and even greens - on the surface of the medieval inlaid or encaustic tiles in the ancient pavement of the Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon. Many still display remnants of inlaid heraldic devices such as the fleur-de-lis, the emblem of the French crown. Inlaid or encaustic tiles are glazed clay tiles, historically fired in wood burning kilns, bearing simple inlaid patterns such as heraldic motifs picked out in contrasting clay, typically white or yellow on a red ground. Vitrification occurs in the glaze during the firing process, resulting in a hard, glasslike finish, but the body of the clay stays relatively soft, leaving the glaze much harder and more durable than the clay beneath. Although the tiles are very durable, the surface does wear away gradually, exposing the softer clay and accelerating deterioration. Original encaustic tiles made by medieval craftsmen survive in many ancient cathedrals and churches in the United Kingdom, France and other European countries. In the UK, the 19th Century reign of Queen Victoria saw a revival of the craft, with decorative Minton encaustic tiles made in Staffordshire either replacing worn original tiles in parish churches or used for decorative flooring in many Victorian homes. The French Gothic Laon Cathedral, built in the 12th and early 13th centuries, replaced an earlier Romanesque church on the same hilltop site that was largely destroyed by fire in April 1112. Laon lost its status as a bishopric during the 1789 French Revolution, but although the building now functions only as a parish church, it is still universally known as Laon Cathedral.
Size: 3872px × 2592px
Location: Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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