Battered but beautiful small square medieval inlaid or encaustic clay tiles in the pavement of the Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon at Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, in colours ranging from bright orange to deep red and black, have survived centuries of wear and tear. A few of the smaller tiles, like larger examples, feature yellow remains of heraldic motifs such as the fleur-de-lis, the lily flower 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: battered but beautiful small square medieval inlaid or encaustic tiles in the pavement of the Gothic Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon, in colours ranging from bright orange to deep red and black, have survived centuries of wear, tear and the passage of thousands of feet. A few of the smaller tiles, like larger examples nearby, feature the yellow remains of heraldic motifs such as the fleur-de-lis, the lily flower emblem of the French crown. Inlaid or encaustic tiles are glazed clay tiles, historically fired in wood burning kilns, bearing simple inlaid patterns 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 little vitrification occurs within the body of the clay. As a result, the glaze is substantially harder and more durable than the clay beneath. Although the tiles are very durable, the surface does wear away gradually over time, 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 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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