MORAVIAN POTTERY & TILE WORKS Tiles of the Four Seasons
About Us The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, a National Historic Landmark, is maintained as a working history museum by Pennsylvania s County of Bucks, Department of Parks and Recreation. Handmade tiles are still produced in a manner similar to that developed by the pottery s founder and builder, Henry Chapman Mercer (1856 1930). Mercer was a major proponent of the Arts & Crafts Movement in America. He directed the work at the pottery from 1898 until his death in 1930. You may still purchase handmade reissues of tiles, mosaics and relief panels made in the American Arts & Crafts tradition from us. Come visit and tour our historic museum. Look through our catalogue to see the many tiles we have for gifts, and installations such as backsplashes, fireplaces, floors, and walls. Tours are offered every half-hour and consist of a brief video and a walk through the facility. Visitors will see original installations, various displays, and selected aspects of current tile production. Admission fees and operating hours are subject to change. Please call us to verify. Open Daily 10:00 AM 4:45 PM Closed selected Holidays Last Tour at 4 pm Tile Shop is open daily 10:00 AM 4:45 PM (free entry) 2
Table of Contents Our Tiles... 4 Winter Special Edition for 2010... 5 4x4 Seasons Figures... 6 4x4 Season Fauna... 8 Hand-Painted Figures... 10 Hand-Painted Fauna... 12 Large Open & Notched Designs... 14 Seasons Mosaics... 16 Hand-Painted Seasons Flowerets... 18 Four Seasons Fireplace... 20 Glaze Colors and Surfaces... 22 Custom Panels.. 25 Prices 26 3
Our Tiles Most of the tiles made in America today are composed of carefully formulated clay mixtures that are designed to make every tile exactly the same. Machinery is used to produce perfectly regular tile and even many contemporary tile makers who work entirely by hand aspire to do the same. We make no attempt to do so. The founder and builder of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, Henry Chapman Mercer said Machinery can t make Art! Art needs the touch of a human hand, its failings as well as it skill. In keeping with his philosophy we use a local clay that we dig and prepare ourselves. It is characterized by its natural variation in color, surface, shrinkage, and texture. Our attempt has been to accept all of these delightful variations. We don t attempt to produce uniform tiles all alike in color and surface. We acknowledge that to be the domain of machinery. Our goal is to make a tile art reflective of the makers touch and skill as well as of the directness of processes used. We hope you enjoy our tiles. 4
WINTER 2010 Limited Edition Tile Our Special Edition 2010 Winter Tile, designed by Head Ceramist Adam Zayas, is the fourth release of our latest four-part Seasons series. This design was inspired from an original tile created by Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), the founder of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works. The proceeds from this tile are used to support the restoration of our historic building. This tile is available only in our Orange Yellow glaze, an historic color recreated specifically for this tile. 5
4x4 Seasons Figures MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Sowing Seed Spring Reaping Wheat Summer 6
Picking Grapes Autumn Chopping Wood Winter 7
4x4 Seasons Fauna MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Robin Spring Bee Summer 8
Rabbit Autumn Owl Winter 9
Handpainted Figures MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Sowing Seed Spring Reaping Wheat Summer 10
Picking Grapes Autumn Chopping Wood Winter 11
Handpainted Fauna MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Robin Spring Bee Summer 12
Rabbit Autumn Owl Winter 13
Large Open and Notched Designs MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Sowing Seed Spring Notched corners and cut out design shown in Blue Underglaze Reaping Wheat Summer Notched corners and cut out design shown in Green Underglaze 14
Picking Grapes Autumn Notched corners and cut out design shown in Black Underglaze Chopping Wood Winter Notched corners and cut out design shown in Cream 15
Seasons Mosaics MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Sowing Seed Spring Approx 1¼ thick mounted in cement with a hanging wire. Loose tile pieces are ½ thick. A guide to help arrange the loose pieces is provided if you wish to mount the mosaic. Reaping Summer Approx 1¼ thick mounted in cement with a hanging wire. Loose tile pieces are ½ thick. A guide to help arrange the loose pieces is provided if you wish to mount the mosaic. 16
Picking Apples Autumn Approx 1¼ thick mounted in cement with a hanging wire. Loose tile pieces are ½ thick. A guide to help arrange the loose pieces is provided if you wish to mount the mosaic. Chopping Wood-Winter Approx 1¼ thick mounted in cement with a hanging wire. Loose tile pieces are ½ thick. A guide to help arrange the loose pieces is provided if you wish to mount the mosaic. 17
Handpainted Seasons Flowerets MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Flowerets Although these floweret and grape tiles are quite small they pack a punch of warm color! Each tile is handpainted and measures about 1 ½ across. Typically used to represent the Four Seasons these delightful tiles also make wonderful wedding favors. Wild Rose Buttercups Grapes 18
Holly Lily Mistletoe Violets 19
Four Seasons Fireplace MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Original design with special framework, adaptable up to a maximum 40 inch high by 42 inch wide firebox. Width of band, 9½ inches. Handpainted tiles from left to right, for Spring, the Robin, the Violet, Sowing Seed, the Lily. For Summer, the Bumble Bee, the Buttercup, the Reaper, the Wild Rose. For Autumn, Picking Grapes, bunch of Grapes, the Rabbit. For Winter, the Mistletoe, the Woodcutter, Holly, the Owl. 20
Available in unglazed Red Cinder as illustrated or in the lighter Unglazed Slip Cinder Shown to the right 21
Glaze Colors and Surfaces MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS The 4x4 Seasons Figures, 4x4 Seasons Fauna and 4x4 Tree may be glazed in any of the satin gloss colors below. The raised portion of the design will always be in unglazed Brick-Red with the specified color in the recessed portion of the tile. The Seasons Open & Notched tiles may be entirely glazed (no unglazed Brick-Red showing) in any of the following colors. BLUE GLAZE GREEN GLAZE WHITE GLAZE BROWN GLAZE YELLOW GLAZE BLACK GLAZE 22
The 4x4 Seasons Figures, 4x4 Seasons Fauna and 4x4 Tree may be glazed in any of the satin gloss colors below. The raised portion of the design will always be in the cream glaze occasionally breaking to red with the specified color in the recessed portion of the tile. Tiles may also be ordered entirely in cream. The Seasons Open & Notched tiles may be entirely in any of the following colors. GREEN UNDERGLAZE BLUE UNDERGLAZE BLACK UNDERGLAZE CREAM 23
Glaze Colors and Surfaces MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS The 4x4 Seasons Figures, 4x4 Seasons Fauna and 4x4 Tree may be finished in any of the Matte colors below. The raised portion of the design will always be in unglazed Brick-Red with the specified color in the recessed portion of the tile. The Seasons Open & Notched tiles may be entirely finished (no unglazed Brick-Red showing) in either of the following colors. BLUE SLIP GREEN SLIP 24
Custom Panels We can mount your season tiles on a bed of cement,of simple geometric shape, in any arrangement you like. The cost of mounting the tiles will be $30.24 per square foot or.21 cents /sq inch. Panels can be made to a maximum 30 inches across. Panels are set into a cement bed and require curing for 4 weeks they usually are available for pickup or shipping 6 weeks after ordering. Mounted panels are approximately 2 thick, cement inclusive, and have a hook on the reverse for hanging. Detail of reverse showing hanging wire and pottery mark. 25
Prices MORAVIAN POTTERY AND TILE WORKS Tile Approximate Size Cost 4x4 Seasons Figures 3 5/8 x 3 5/8 $ 13.65 4x4 Season Fauna 3 5/8 x 3 5/8 $ 13.65 Hand-Painted Figures 4 x 4 $ 26.95 Hand-Painted Fauna 3 x 3 $ 17.75 Large Open & Notched Designs 6 ¼ x 6¼ $ 33.95 Seasons Mosaics @ 16 Diameter $ 317 mounted $ 253.60 loose Hand-Painted Seasons Flowerets @ 1½ x 1½ $ 5.75 Four Seasons Fireplace Variable sizes $ 1007.00 26
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4x4 Tree Price : $13.65 Size: Approx 3 ½ H x 3 ½ W Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Historic Properties 130 E Swamp Road Doylestown, PA 18901 Phone: 215.348.6098 Fax: 215.345.1361 E-mail: tileshop@co.bucks.pa.us http://buckscounty.org/government/departments/tileworks COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: ROBERT G. LOUGHERY, CHAIRMAN - CHARLES H. MARTIN, - DIANE M. ELLIS-MARSEGLIA, LCSW