Angevin Rose

A new handcrafted tile set by Fire Creek Clay.

Inspiration is everywhere and often found in the most unlikely of places.  Fire Creek designs are often inspired by the backcountry and the animals that reside within.  Today, Fire Creek introduces The Angevin Rose Medallion and the story of its beginning is different.

We study genealogy to answer the great questions of life; where do we come from, why are we here and what could our futures possibly hold. Understanding the hardships of our ancestors is a powerful example of our true grit and the strength that is inside each and every one of us.  Genealogy is bringing distant history to a personal level.    I dabble with the genealogy of my family in fits and starts; working until I become frustrated by dead ends.   Traveling down the twists and turns of the lives of people who built me, is inspiring and motivating.  Not too long ago, the road lead me back to the 11th century and the beginning of the Plantagenet Dynasty.

Along with the love of researching family history, comes the excitement of learning about the lives of others in a different time and place.  I devoured every book that fed my curiosity of Eleanor of Aquitaine, a distant grandmother.  Eleanor was one of the wealthiest women in the Middle Ages and a leader of several armies during her lifetime. (I feel a strong resemblance to my 25th great-grandmother, well except for the being wealthy part.  Just kidding).  With her husband King Henry II, they would create the Plantagenet Dynasty and lead England through transformation, the Magna Carta and war.

Through the personal lives of my grand-sires, I found the art and culture of the time.  Handcrafted tile was a big deal back then! Beautiful, two-toned inlaid tiles covered the floors of Abbeys and Churches during the 13th-16th centuries.  The dark earthenware clay was stamped using a heavy wooden block design. Crafters set white clay slip into the deep recesses, giving the tiles a two tone appearance.    The creation of this new process of creating tile, is considered one of the great inventions of the time. It gave rise to the ability to mass produce tile.

The designs of these inlaid tiles are enchanting, often depicting animals of the hunt, coats of arms, and intricate designs of leaves and vines.  Being the tile artist that I am, I began to wonder what it would be like to bring these tiles  to life with a Fire Creek twist…carved in deep relief.

     The result is Fire Creek’s Angevin Rose Medallion, a hand crafted ceramic tile hand carved. These 4- 6 inch relief tiles allow the glaze to puddle and pool.  A beautiful piece, perfect as the showcase of a kitchen backsplash or fireplace surround.  The Medallion shown is glazed in a stunning cobalt blue, but consider an evergreen, warm amber brown or a classic snow-white glaze.  There are so many options with such a versatile, classic design.

                                                                                      ~Thanks for visiting!

                                                                                                      Dana

P.S. There were magazines last month that featured handcrafted tile.    Handmade tiles are making a comeback…get yours today!