ceramic tiles, Edinburgh Ceramics, Morningside
Public Art commissions and tiles for commercial environments:
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Reproduction tiles for a public house in Leith, Edinburgh:
Victorian moulded ceramic tile frieze.

This intricate pattern of eighteen unique moulded tiles repeats to form a continuous high-level frieze in a fully-tiled ceramic interior. The tiles were made as closely-matched replacements following fire-damage to the interior of a unique listed building.

This tile reproduction project needed oversize plaster moulds for each repeating tile. The tiles were fired with glazes developed to acheive a good colour-match with adjacent undamaged tiles. The tiles' shade variation co-ordinates with the variable character of the original 19th century tiles.
reproduction moulded tiles

Site-specific reproduction tiles made at Edinburgh Ceramics by
Susan and Douglas Dalgleish.
one reproduction moulded tile
Tiles of such complexity require extensive research into materials and production methods. In theory, any ceramic tile which has been made previously can be recreated. However the production methods used in nineteenth century tile factories were appropriate for the materials then available, and may have involved processes which are not acceptable today.

The research and development, or 'origination' stage of tile reproduction requires even more time than the reinvented manufacturing process which it informs. This explains why recreating tiles from the past needs an extended production period and incurs additional costs.