Portuguese wall tiles

Portuguese tiles, or Portuguese cement tiles, are originally an Andalusian art form. These are Portuguese cement tiles on which different patterns can be seen. The production process is as follows: an under layer of cement is applied. A marble powder is mixed on top with a pigment and poured into a mould. Then the Portuguese floor tiles are pressed under high pressure. The under layer of the Portuguese tiles is made of cement, hence the name Portuguese cement tiles. The Portuguese cement floor tiles can be used both indoors and outdoors. The size of the Portuguese tiles can vary. These Portuguese mosaic tiles give an attractive atmosphere to the interior. In old Belgian and French houses these old Portuguese mosaic tiles can still be found. Mosaic tiles like these can also be found in Morocco: Moroccan cement tiles. These have the same production process but are more porous and are of an inferior quality. They must not be confused with Moroccan zelliges. As a rule, these cement tiles are produced in Portugal, Spain, Mexico, France and Italy. In Italy the cement tiles are worked into Italian terrazzo.

Portuguese wall tiles are blue/white and have been imported on a large scale from Delft in the 18th century. These were already painted in the Netherlands with Portuguese scenes. The characteristics of Portuguese cement tiles are the bright colours and scenes (tableau).

The Portuguese and Spanish word for tiles is Azulejos and originates for the Arabic: al zulaydj, which means more or less the same as zellige. The word azul (blue) possibly originates from azulejos. The Moors brought the art of painting polished tiles from Persia.

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