From its beginnings in the 13th century Morocco, ceramic mural tiles have been a staple in American design and decor. Although ceramic tile making was a craft that’s familiar to the Egyptian, Chinese, and Babylonian ancients, the methods of its creation that we employ today stem directly from early Moroccan artisans of ceramic mural tiles.
While it’s fair to say ceramic mural tile goes through phases of popularity, its appeal peaked during the Arts & Crafts movement. The movement endured until the 1920s.
Because of the current resurgence of interest in the Arts & Crafts period, the ceramic mural tile has once again become popular.
Learning the craft of making ceramic mural tile takes more than an inherent artistic talent. It also entails becoming educated about different clays, paints, firing techniques, kilns and other firing equipment, and a host of minute details only someone truly committed to the task would undergo. Most serious ceramic tile artisans spend a lifetime not only fine-tuning their craft, but constantly searching for ways of improving their techniques and learning about the latest and best processes necessary for creating quality ceramic mural tile for patrons.
An awareness of the length of time and the commitment necessary to learn the techniques of creating high-quality ceramic mural tile makes it easier to understand the sometimes eyebrow-raising prices these artisans ask. Most of them with reputations for superior work ask for – and get – sixty US dollars or more per hour to create custom ceramic mural tile offerings.
So the next time you see a gorgeous, hand painted ceramic mural tile example, keep these things in mind.
