ZELLIGE
(ZELIG) [zuh-LEEZH]
Someone once said, “Imperfections are some of the best things you can love about people.”
That’s also true about the veins and flowers within natural stones, those grains and burls within wood, or glazing variations of pottery kilned natures… Zellige has one of those ceramic instilled features. Everything right and wrong with Zellige are attributes which also make it special and unique.
For over 1500 years Zellige ceramic tiles have been accepted, long before ceramic engineers have progressed to perfect it. Such artisanal tiles are formed and fired, as it’s always been, when making Zellige, that’s the whole thing.
With artisanal tiles like Zellige, a washed earthen clay and handcrafted production, it’s about the art, history, and of what you feel and believe. Zellige, although sometimes imprecise, has a greater artistic value and worth. You can simply say, they are down-to-earth.
Zellige is contrary to commercially made ceramic tile, including their irregular grout joints, but that’s the whole point.
With artisanal or commercial tile, there are several differences for each. It’s less like comparing an apple or orange, but more like a walnut to a peach. Tile-setters find artisanal tile more awkward to install. They can still surprise some less experienced setters who think they’ve seen it all.
Many things about Zellige are viewed as defects for more commercially produced tile, but the final installed result still makes homeowners smile.
What is the perfect tile… is it commercially made or the handcrafted style?
Is it installation longevity, ease of maintenance, hygiene or cleanability, material composition, durability, or if needing safety and slip-resistance, or material composition or consistence?
It can be a specific size, shape, finish, or color, for a wall or floor, and a lot more, fitting in with the décor, with variation, shading, and attribute which makes your heart soar.
Those in the industry often view the ‘perfect tile’ as commercially made product, more exacting in size, and exacting temperature measure kilns, much better than baking pies, with raw material precisions and quality control inspections.
Types of ceramic tile are also numerous: Majolica, Cottoforte, Terracotta, earthenware, Monocottura, Monoporosa, Clinker — extruded, stoneware, porcelain, pressed, cast, glazed and unglazed… the list is long. Whatever you like, whichever you choose, your choice cannot be wrong.
I don’t mean to imply that you may not want to have those other tile types applied, those identical to the other beside and commercially contrived, rectified for exact size, vitrified, identified, and classified for use outside, most generally supplied glazed tiles made worldwide.
However, it is not the heart and soul of ceramic, but if you didn’t know that don’t panic. You need no excuses, as such commercially produced ceramics all have their uses. Most commonly, the bigger floor tile format tile installations are for larger space commercial applications. That may be what you want, not the Zellige which is wholly unclassified by a quality production lot.
For specialty, we look to more artisanal and original Moroccan Zellige tile. Sure, it’s been around for quite a while, but that’s exactly one of the prominent points of acceptance and style.
For the most part, artisanal tiles start with art and, they’re easy to tell apart. They are distinctive to spot, from lot to lot. I have already mentioned this allot, a machine formed and kilned commercial tile perfect production they are not.
Zellige artisanal tiles have no expectations, to meet any strict specifications, but must be somewhat flat or there’d be no floor or wall applications.
Zellige can still be installed with ease and offer aesthetic beauty of variation, because of their natural clays and form of production.
Many homeowners and designers for architectural specification often love the authentic Moroccan Zellige tile, and confidently make it their selection.
