Antique tile made by the Trent Tile Co. of Trenton,N.J. Marked on the back-Bullseye back with TRENT in script N.J,and the Trenton area was home to many tile manufacturers from the 1870’s-early 1900’s. Trent,Providential and Robertson were all large tile factories within earshot of each other.The industrial revolution ,along with the advent of electricity provided the means of mass producing dust-pressed,white clay tiles in relief and in quantity. These tiles were a key ingredient of the late 19th century aesthetic movement in the U.S. This tile measures 4-1/4″ x 4-1/4″ x 1/2″ thick. When I look at this tile,the FLW Los Angeles houses come to mind. Hollyhock,Ennis,Storer. These houses were built in the 1920’s and incorporated decorative concrete building blocks and they resemble Mayan temples. If you’ve never looked at them,google FLW L.A. Houses. This tile has a fantastic Mayan theme to it.Look closely at the central square spiral and the greek keys within the 4 stylized snakes. And what are those critters i each corner! The oxblood red/brown glaze is insanely thick. Chip- free and just gorgeous. A couple of spots of light abrasion on the high points of the design. I was always under the impression that the back on this tile denoted an early Trent production. It’s possible that this was produced in te 20’s,but I think more like 1880’s. Anybody have any input here? Great tile! Please check back in the next couple of days for more antique tile auctions. Thanks!
A FEW THINGS OF NOTE: 1) Size:”standard”wall tile sizes,established in the 1800’s, are still used today.Most wall tile today is 1/4″ nominal in thickness.Up until the 1920’s,it was 1/2″,but that was a very loose measurement,as some would be a little less or a little more. I believe the reason for the extra thickness in Victorian times was to prevent tiles from “cupping” or warping while cooling.The Low Tile Works of Chelsea was able to produce much thinner tiles than the other makers of the day.The obvious benefits were less clay and more tiles in a box and on the horse and wagon or train,thus less shipping costs.Standard sizes were/are 1 x 4 ,1 x 6, 1-1/2 x 3, 1-1/2 x 6, 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 , 2-1/8 x 2-1/8 ,2-1/8 x 4-1/4 , 2-1/8 x 6 , 3×3 , 3×6 , 4-1/4 x 4-1/4 , 4-1/4 x6 , 6×6. Triangles were 2-1/8 x 2-1/8 x 3, 3 x3 x 4-1/4 and 4-1/4 x 4-1/4 x 6. There were some other sizes that were not often used. When dealing with antique tile,please keep in mind that these measurements do vary slightly,even from .the same lot/installation. Variations in thickness did not matter then,as all tiles were set individually in a thick bed of “mud” (cement) and adjusted accordingly. Today,using mastic and thinset mortar,consistant tile thickness is important. 2) CONDITION: When I use terms such as”excellent” ,”very good”,etc., I am merely using an adjective and not subscribing to a set of grading terms used by some. There are well established grading procedures and terminology for many collectibles such as coins and comic books. With antique tile,I prefer to use my own terms,combined with good photos and pointing out what defects may be on the tile. I believe that when you go through one of my auctions,you have a clear picture of what to expect to receive in the mail. So,I will stick with what I’ve been doing,because it seems to be working. I rarely get returns,but don’t be shy if there’s a problem. And don’t be shy in asking questions if my descriptions and photos don’t give you all the info that you need. 3) SHIPPING: I have many repeat/regular buyers. I am glad to hold on to your tiles until my next round of auctions or 3 rounds of auctions.It saves me time in packing/shipping and it saves you money. And,it saves the planet! With some bidders who live on the west coast, instead of 3 packages for $8 each,it may be one package for $11. I have done this for years with certain buyers,so let me know if you want me to hold your tiles until a later point. Payment should be made from auction to auction to avoid website from sending out all those annoying”pay for your item” emails and “have you had a problem being paid for this item notices”. 4) AGE: Virtually all of the tiles I sell are from the 1870’s- 1920’s.I do not own catalogs or reference books and really,not much details are there,anyhow. With some tiles,the age is obvious,as the Company may have been in business from 1884-1895. With others,it may be 1895 or 1915. Many Low Tile Works tiles have an 1881 or 1884 patent date on the back.That doesn’t mean they were produced then. Most tiles that I describe as “gothic” are ,indeed from the earlier 1870’s- 1880’s period. 5)Projects? If doing/planning a project,drop me a line if you’re looking for anything in particular or need installation assistance.I have done many installations using antique tile,new tile or a combination of the two. 6) EXPERTISE: I would recommend Karlson’s book on American Art Tiles. The most text that you’ll find on any manufacturer is about 2 pages,but it is a good book nonetheless and has lots of great photos.Most of my knowledge comes from having bought/sold/salvaged thousands of tiles over the past 85 years.Yup,I’m 107 and still going strong………7) PHOTOS: The photos attached to the auction is the actual tile you will receive. Rarely will I re-use a photo.
I will be listing many American art tiles from
1880-1910’s. Many are rarely seen patterns-a good opportunity to “fill in the blanks” in your collection. These are glazed,relief tiles and crazing is an inherent(And desirable,in my eyes)quality after over 100 years of life. All of these tiles have been salvaged from original installations in fireplaces,vestibules and bathrooms. Please note that white marks are flask/reflection unless noted as imperfections. I’m listing tiles mostly from the south NJ/Philly area and the Ohio River basin. This
is where most of the American tiles were produced over 100 years ago.If you are
looking for anything in particular,drop me a line. I have thousands of
decorative and field tiles and might have what you need.I ship small tiles 2day
first class to keep shipping costs down and I’ll combine shipping costs on
multiple auction wins/buys. I charge a maximum of $10.95 for shipping,regardless
of the number of auctions won. All auctions are no reserve with a modest
starting bid.Happy hunting!
On Mar-05-12 at 18:10:40 PST, seller added the following information:
Norman Karlson’s book on Amaerican Art Tile has a section with photographs of the backs of tiles. He put years of work into this book,but much is left out. In the photos of the backs,he leaves out numerous manufacturers. Companies like Old Bridge,Trent ,Providential and Hamilton used a host of different backs over the years,marked in many different ways,or simply unmarked,but known as a certain maker via the back design or the tiles face design. he leaves these companies out completely,which strikes me as very odd,given the effort put in to the book in general.The tiles in this auction are not pictured in his book,but it would be impossible to photograph them all. I have seen this design many times in the past and have always remembered it as a Trent.
In looking at Karlson’s photo of the “Newburgh Tile Works'” back,with a magnifier,I can see that it actually says”Old Bridge”.. I recently sold a group of tiles,a known Old Bridge design,with this same “Newburgh”(according to Karlson) back. I don’t know if the photo in the book was marked Newburgh by mistake,or if Newburgh used that back style and he thought he was looking at a Newburgh tile.The mark is faint,but readable in the book-Old Bridge.Lt. Columbo signing out…………..
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