Floors forever

Athangudi tiles are known to last for over a century without losing colour and texture, the tiles only increasing in beauty as they age. Nandhini Sundar visits a centre

January 05, 2018 05:00 pm | Updated 05:00 pm IST

I t is certainly a splash of colours that greets you when you enter the shabby looking work centre in the fascinating village of Athangudi near Karaikudi. On one side of the thatched-roof work centre lie stacks of freshly dried and finished tiles, while on the other are piles of cement and river sand mixture ready to be used with the cans of striking colours of yellow oxide, red, green, blue, black, white, amongst others.

Cement-covered hands pull out the selected frame and after placing the cleaned glass on the frame, proceed to dexterously pour the bright colours into the individual slots of the frame. The frame is then shaken to ensure the oxides poured into the slots spread evenly to the thickness of 3 to 4mm.

The dry mixture of cement and fine sand is sprinkled over this to seal the liquid colours. The sprinkling again requires skill as the thickness of the dry mixture not only has to be perfect, it also has to be totally uniform throughout the tile. The wet mixture of cement and sand is poured over this, sealing the frame fully and finished with a final sprinkling of the dry mixture.

The emerging handmade tile is left to dry in the shade before it is slipped out of its frame and transferred to the soak pit where it is soaked in water for two days. Though the frame slips out after the initial drying process, the glass continues to be glued to the tile while being soaked in water. The glass finally slips out once the tile is left to sun dry for a week, the emerging handmade Athangudi tile arresting in its freshness and beauty.

Says Ayyappan, proprietor of Jyothi Tile Works, which has been making Athangudi tiles for over seven decades, “When the craftsmen make the tile, it appears very easy and simple. But there is a lot of skill in making it to precision, without leaving gaps or defects. Getting the right proportion in laying the colours and later packing the cement mixture involves skill and experience. These craftsmen have been making these tiles for decades.”

Interestingly, the tiles can also incorporate handmade design where there is no fixed frame used to mark the design. “Here the colour is poured freely and the design emerges by physically drawing the desired design with fingers. This takes the handmade tile to another level as the designs in every tile would be unique and cannot be replicated.” Needless to add, the hand designed tiles call for even greater skill and experience compared to the use of a frame. While the design frames can also be customised to suit individual leanings, according to Ayyappan the old type of design is more popular as this offers a more authentic feel of the traditional Chettinad houses. Ayyappan, having learnt to lay the tile as a young boy, took over the reins of the workshop from his father in the early nineties.

The Athangudi tiles, a common feature in the erstwhile grand Chettinad mansions, are known to last for over a century without losing colour and texture, the tiles only increasing in beauty as they age.

Given that the tile is an inch in thickness, it also does not break easily.

Colour options

The average vitrified tile, in comparison, is only 5 to 6 mm thick and hence easy to break, contends Ayyappan. “The colours of the tiles do not fade if the formula opted traditionally is followed”, he says, adding, “Green and blue are best avoided in areas exposed to sunlight while other colours do not react to the exposure.” Incidentally, the traditional dyes used for the colours a century ago were made from vegetable dyes, the hues being far superior. “The knowledge of these vegetable dyes is lost and currently it is oxides that are being used” laments Ayyappan.

While making the tile calls for dexterity and experience, the laying of the tile requires equal expertise as it done differently compared to conventional machine-made tiles. “Cement and lime mixture are required to be used over the concrete while laying the tiles. The appropriate curing of the tiles too is imperative and once the tiles are laid, it requires finishing with a final rubbing using a grain mix”, explains Ayyappan.

Further life is breathed into the laid tiles with a thorough swabbing using coconut oil mixed in water. Since the laying requires skill as well as knowledge of the traditional practice, laying the tiles by skilled workmen is included in the purchase deal.

Not only do these stunning handmade tiles usher in the traditional beauty and craftsmanship of our skilled village folk, they also prove to be far easier on the pocket, given that the cost per square foot of a magnificent Athangudi tiled floor is approximately Rs. 50.

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