Ceramic Tiles are wonderful pieces of materials for decoration that can instantly add a design boost to almost any space. Ceramic tile possess a rich culture and history as a background which I will discuss in the following paragraphs. As a homeowner and a business owner, ceramic tiles are my personal choice when it comes to flooring finishes. Why? It is because it is easy to maintain, durable and easy to replace. Ceramic tiles are perfect design examples of quick-fix design solutions.

The history of ceramic tile dates back from the ancient times. A sample of a glazed ceramic hand painted tile was actually discovered which dates back to 880 B.C. Can you believe that? The images depict early civilization and their king in one of the occasional celebrations of the kingdom. Tiles or tablets during those days are used by historians to keep memories of their history where they in fact, succeeded.

As early as 4,000 B.C. ceramic tiles are used in Mesopotamia, for what purpose I am not fully aware rather than to record their nations history. They use iron oxide to decorate the tiles which are actually pigments derived from nature which is mainly reddish in color. These same pigments are the ones found on the famous prehistoric cave wall drawings.

China is the pioneer country of fine ceramic art by producing delicate porcelain ceramics. These ceramics are widely acclaimed throughout the world. China was able to preserve some of these white porcelain ceramics decorated in blue tints. It is still considered nowadays as Chinese trademark on ceramic design.

Ceramic tiles during the past used to be prepared manually. The molten clay is transferred to a wood block of mold baked under a kiln to strengthen its shape and character. Sometimes, artisans create imprints on the tiles by making impressions on the mold. The clay is then fired once or twice depending if the maker wants it glazed or unglazed.