Moorish XVI Cuenca tiles
Tour of Portuguese Bicesse Tiles
Think the beautiful Portuguese tiles are only known to those lucky enough to live in Portugal? Guess again!
Portuguese Tiles, or azulejos, are known and desired all over the world.
There are complete city streets done in Portuguese tiles in Saudi Arabia as well as large, elaborate patios in Beverly Hills, California and Paris, France.
To fully appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into making the ubiquitous azulejos, one must visit Portuguese Bicesse Tiles where tiles are still made in the traditional way.
We was invited to a private tour of the tile factory where we had a chance to see the entire process.
At Bicesse Tiles, everything is done in house. First, the clay is mixed with water until the right thickness is obtained. Then the raw clay is pressed through a machine (this is not high tech piece of machinery!) where it comes out in a long ribbon which is then cut with a wire into squares (cut to an approximate size of 140mm x 140mm and 8mm thick). The slightly damp squares are laid out to dry in the sun on wood planks (this is all done manually).
After a few hours in the sun, the tiles are stacked face to face in piles of 40 tiles with a weight (a large rock) placed on top to avoid warping. When dry, they are individually inspected by striking each one with a piece of tile, eliminating those that not "sound" right. Those tiles that pass inspection, can move to the next step where they are individually glazed by hand with an 18th century type of glaze.
All the tiles are painted by craftsman according ti the required design and color scheme.
Finally, the second firing in the kiln is required in order to sent paints (colors) and melt the glaze that will give the tile its shine.
No only does Bicesse Tiles create tiles, but they also have a large restoration business. When old buildings are being demolished, they rescue beautiful antique tile murals from total deconstruction.
Through their unique hand craftsmanship, they are able to recreate tiles where the mural was damaged.
Hard to believe that such individualized craftsmanship still survives today.
A visit to Portuguese Bicesse Tiles is a must for anyone interested in experiencing a unique Portuguese tradition.
Some places using tiles manufactured by us:
PARIS - BUDDHA BAR;
PARIS - B FLY;
MARBELLA - BAJA DISCO;
GRAN CANARIA - GRAN HOTEL "La Residencia";
UN;
USA - LENNY KRAVITZ Residence;
FRANCE - PAVILLON DE NATATION Prince Pierre D' Aremberg;
and much more...
Thanks for your visit!
Bicesse Tiles from Portugal
