Inlaid or encaustic tiles created in 1996 to repave one of the chapels in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame at Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France, were decorated with historic designs found elsewhere in the cathedral, as well as in ancient abbeys in both Laon and Soissons. Their medieval counterparts, original encaustic tiles inlaid with heraldic symbols, survive elsewhere in the cathedral pavement, although many are now badly worn. Laon Cathedral was built in the French Gothic style in the 12th and early 13th centuries.
Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France: inlaid or encaustic tiles created in 1996 to repave one of the chapels in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon were decorated with historic designs found elsewhere in the cathedral, as well as in ancient abbeys in both Laon and Soissons. Their medieval counterparts, original encaustic tiles inlaid with heraldic symbols, survive elsewhere in the cathedral pavement, although many are now badly worn. 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 - or in this case, red motifs on yellow. The glaze hardens during the firing process, but the body of the clay underneath stays relatively soft, which makes them vulnerable to damage once the surface wears. 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. Laon Cathedral, built in the French Gothic style 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: 2592px × 3872px
Location: Laon, Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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