The Eritrea African art tile is made by an African Women’s Co-operative and individually decorated, with traditional patterns scribed into the raw clay as it begins to harden.

To achieve its distinctive finish, the tile is cooked in an open fire before being plunged into sawdust to smoulder. In the final process, the women brew a strong liquid from local tree barks and leaves and brush it over the surface as the clay cools.

These African art tiles are available to special order from De Ferranti and are for use on walls only.

Eritrea African art tile craft and finish

The gallery reveals a densely worked surface of diamonds, parallel scoring, curved bands and small punctured marks. Black is not uniform across the piece. Bronze-brown passages and areas of deeper gloss emerge from the firing and finishing processes, allowing the pattern to become clearer as light moves over the surface.

The Eritrea African art tile can be treated as a single ceramic panel or assembled into a larger feature wall where variations in mark-making remain visible. Its strength lies in the evidence of individual decoration, rather than a perfectly repeated industrial motif.

For another co-operative-made wall tile, consider Zimbabwe. The more ordered Tierra Negra Africa C offers a related language of diamonds, stippling and linear bands. The wider Terracotta Floors & Walls collection provides further fired-earth context, while Textures in Various Finishes & Combinations supports comparisons with other tactile surfaces.

Specifying a hand-decorated wall panel

Request current samples or imagery when planning a grouped installation, as handmade decoration and fire-developed colour should be expected to vary. Establish the arrangement before fixing, review the surface under directional light, and select a joint colour that does not interrupt the dark pattern. Suitability is limited to appropriate interior wall applications.

Project Guidance and Enquiries

For project guidance, availability, pricing, samples or further information, please use the Send E-Mail button below this description. Your enquiry will come directly to De Ferranti, and we will be pleased to discuss suitability, quantities, lead times and options for your project.