Tudor Potteries, Inc.
Type "A" Decorative Tile; 5" x 5"
Red-bodied, hand-molded, cuenda seca, c. 1930.
Tile Heritage Collection. Gift of Irene and Ernest Knops.
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Tudor Potteries, Inc.
Los Angeles, California
c. 1930
"Decorative tiles have been used for centuries to express individuality. Today, modern architecture demands decorative tile for distinction, for color, for the artistic expression of individual ideas. Rich colors in striking designs and soft shades with antique effects are needed for that finishing touch. Tudor Type 'A' decorated tiles were created to meet this demand."
Tudor Potteries was founded in 1927; its factory was located on Santa Fe Avenue in Huntington Park, just south of Los Angeles. George Skee, formerly employed at Claycraft Potteries, was the superintendent. Although the company produced tiles in a variety of styles, its "Spanish designs" as illustrated here were normally unmarked, but the tiles are often identifiable in trivets, table tops, and large installations by the informality of the glaze application. Tile making lasted until 1934 when the company focused exclusively on its ceramic gift items. In 1939 Tudor Potteries was sold and its name changed.