Introduction

Design Resource

Athangudi Tiles

Making of Athangudi Decorative Floor Tiles

Prof. Bibhudutta Baral, J. Antony William and Susanth C.S.

Introduction

The Athangudi tiles are popular handmade decorative floor tiles, originating from a village called Athangudi in the Chettinadu region of Tamil Nadu. Athangudi tiles are completely handmade floor tiles, which add charm to the interiors of a house. These floor tiles of Athangudi stand out for its class, bringing forth the rich cultural heritage of the Chettiar community.

The art of making these tiles is a traditional activity at Chettinad. The raw materials used for making athangudi tiles are the local soil, cement, baby jelly and synthetic oxides. It is unique and supreme, as it comes in a variety of colors and patterns made by a distinctive process of making tiles. The charisma of the tiles lies on the local sand used and for the right composition. Cement, baby jelly and sand along with synthetic oxides make the composition of the tile. Due to the relatively slow manufacturing process and less shelf life, the demand for these tiles has drastically declined.

The artisans possess expertise in manufacturing these traditional tiles of great quality. The process of making these tiles is done by initially choosing the designs and colours from the existing designs, followed by adding of different colours on the glassed frame in a sequence and designing it. It is layered with a coat of dry mixture of sand and cement and overlaid with mortar.

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Athangudi Tiles