Stuff we found in our garden: Antique tile from Belgium

Marked “CGCB Jurbise, Made in Belgium” this tile could be close to 100 years old.

 

According to The Antique Floor Company:
CGCB is the inscription for the Compagnie Générale de la Céramique du Batiment (commonly shortened to Cerabati), a period ceramic tile producer which were an amalgamation of some of the older companies in Paray-le-Monial, Bourgogne and other usines around France.

 

As per Mario Baeck‘ doctoral thesis “The Flourishing of Belgian Ornamental Tiles and Tile Panels in the Art Nouveau Period”:
In addition to these floor tile factories there were a few earlier established factories, which made fireproof fireplace tiles, floor quarries and tiles for other forms of heavy use, such as the S.A. de Produits Réfractaires et Céramiques de Baudour and Utzschneider, Jaunez et Cie in Jurbise, established in 1876 by Charles Michelet.

 

As researched for GR-Atlas all these different factories united under one name in 1921:
En 1921, les différentes usines de la société Utzschneider et Edouard Jaunez deviennent La Compagnie Générale de la céramique de bâtiment ou Cerabati.

It also states that due to difficulties this factory closed in 1985:
Cependant, dans les années 1980, le site connaît des difficultés et l’usine ferme définitivement en 1985.

 

So this tile could date back as far as 1921, but it is definitely from before 1985. Even if it’s not antique that still makes it vintage.

Was this maybe a tile in the fire place of The Broken Palace? And was it common practice to use imported tiles from Europe?

 

If you know more about Woodstock’s unique history, please get in touch: TrulyJuly@web.de