During the era from 1839 to 1901, Victorian tiles became a new form of artistic expression. Vines, flowers, leaves and other foliage were painted alongside geometric forms with graceful aplomb. You could see the influence of many artists in these tiles, like Klimsch, Dresser and Morris. Wallpaper, glassware, rugs and furniture also carried the decorative look shown in these beautiful tiles. The tiles were hand-painted and inspired by the Victorian art motifs and patterns of the time period.
In that glorious age, many materials were used to edge flower beds and walkways. The original evergreen box shrub gave way to tiles as an edging in these areas. The earliest edging tiles were semicircular roofing tiles, or rectangular or square tiles made of Terra cotta or clay. After a time, roof tiles turned out to be inappropriate as edging tiles for plant beds and walkways since they were hard to keep standing upright.
Edging tiles weren't used in other European countries much, even though they were very popular in England. When they came to the United States, they were first seen in the south, in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah didn't have the massive destruction in the Civil War as many southern cities had, and it continued to import objects of art, including Victorian tile, from Europe. These were used to gracefully edge their small gardens. As time went on, they would be used in lieu of marble, since that was more difficult to obtain and too expensive as well. Some cemeteries used marble and garden tiles both.
Later in the nineteenth century, Victorian tiles were being made for use as garden tiles in Georgia. You can still see them today in Sparta and Greensboro, Georgia. These were made from locally obtained clay, and were glazed like their counterparts, but they lacked the originals' design variety and craftsmanship.
Victorian tile was not much used for edging tiles in the United States, because by this time, gardening had taken on a different style. They used less of the symmetrical or geometrical flower beds and more open lawns, informal tree and shrub groupings and foundation plantings.
Victorian floor tiles are wonderful to look at, but if they aren't cleaned properly, they won't show off their true colors. To clean them, remove any excess floor sealer and clean each tile carefully with tile and grout cleaner. Don't be afraid to really apply yourself here. Afterwards, mop the floor to make sure you remove all the cleaning solution. Let the floor dry.
Use a new paint brush to apply sealer evenly over the entire area that is tiled. Don't overload the paint brush or the sealer may pool on the floor. Up to six coats may be needed to get the exact finish that you are looking for. Let each coat dry before you apply another. After you are done with the floor, clean it up once a week or so to keep your Victorian tile looking like new.
At companies in the United States and Europe, old world techniques are used, and each tile is hand-painted, before it is kiln fired to 2000 degrees. They use colorful enamels that won't fade or wash away. Victorian tiles like these bring back the look of the era, and they will give lasting enjoyment for years.