Today, more often than not, ceramic tiles are regarded as functional objects. We use them in our kitchens and bathrooms, on various floors throughout our homes, for very practical reasons: their durability and ease of maintenance.

Characterized by size, shape, color and design, tiles nonetheless possess a particular beauty which, although a consideration, is often of secondary importance. Historically, however, this has not always been the case. Although the function of a tile has been significant, aesthetics have played a major role.

With little imagination we can envision ancient women and men forming their first tile out of moist earth, allowing it to dry in the sun, for later use as a paving material or building block. With the clay surface, especially when wet, being so susceptible to accidental markings, it seems natural that tiles became an early medium for communication and artistic expression. From excavations in various parts of the world, archaeologists are continuing to find bits and pieces of both pottery and tiles dating back thousands of years.

Just how long fired tiles have been produced or just where the first tiles were installed are questions that may never be answered. Throughout the history of civilization, however, there have been periods when tiles have emerged and flourished primarily as a decorative medium, influenced by social, political and economic forces as well as by the technology at hand.

Numerous palaces and public buildings of the ancient world were adorned with decorative tiles including the Assyrian Palace of Sargon at Khorsabad in northern Mesopotamia (722- 705 B.C.), the imposing Ishtar Gate built for Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon (604-562 B.C.) and the palaces of King Darius at Susa and Persepolis in ancient Persia (521-486 B.C.).

Through the millenniums numerous factors influenced the development and proliferation of decorative tiles. Movement along major trade routes, both on land and by sea, encouraged the exchange of ideas and materials especially where these routes intersected. Similarly, wars, political unrest and religious fervor all played a part in the blending of cultures and the subsequent artistic output in any given part of the world.