| For centuries hand-crafted
tiles have been a predominant decorative surface throughout
the world, from the Middle East and Europe through North
Africa, to Mexico and the West Coast of the United
States.
In California the tile makers excelled
in their craft, producing richly patterned tiles for
building, facades, interiors, gardens, furniture and
even for the table. By collecting together hundreds
of works from dozens of tiny local producers, this
exhibition revealed the variety and artistry of California
Tile in a way never before appreciated.
The heyday of California Tile lasted a mere thirty years
before the depression and the advent of World War II
wiped out this extraordinary flowering of West Coast
creativity. The two volume catalogue of the exhibition
produced by the California Heritage Museum stands as
the definitive guide to this fascinating period in the
decorative arts.
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