The back of a tile, showing the potter’s mark and the rough texture of the tile clay.
Having chosen a simple design—for example, the one shown in Fig. 38—draw it upon the tile in pencil. Next go over the lines with the pointed tool of boxwood, and with a curved pointed wooden tool incise the outline still deeper. Make a clean-cut, firm outline, broad and deep, with a bevelled edge. This is, of course, supposing that the tile has not become very dry, in which case the tool used should be the pointed steel one, finishing with the wooden tool. The whole design should be deeply incised with firm, sure strokes. The pieces of “grog” which the tool will run against now and then will not injure the outline if the hand is firm. Should one by mistake cut away more of the design than was intended, it can easily be repaired with a touch of slip and a small piece of clay, the consistency of the tile, worked in with the pointed steel tool.
The portions of the design which are indicated by dots in Fig. 38 are depressed with the flat-pointed steel tool, according to the method for leaving the design in low relief, described in Chapter IV. Before setting the tile away to dry for the last time, the potter incises his mark on the back. A dull yellow mat-glaze or a gray green one (see Chapter V.) will finish it attractively.
A tile such as this, eight inches square, is rather large for some purposes; it is, however, most effective as a decoration, and may do practical service in holding a flower-pot or vase of flowers—protecting a table or wooden mantel from moisture.
Fireplace tiles are, of course, considerably smaller, and those for use on a table are lighter as well. They are made by the same process, only using a smaller frame and rolling the clay thinner.
Some designs for tiles are shown in Figs. 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43.