Decorative tile work is different from mosaics, in which great numbers of tiny, irregularly positioned and monochromatic tiles called tesserae are used to cover a wall, ceiling, floor or roof. Mosaics are most commonly made of glass and ceramic and typically depict a scene of some kind. Decorative tile work is made of larger, square-shaped materials; it does not always depict a scene and often just simply depicts a design. Mosaics tended to be used in religious buildings to depict Biblical scenes, while tile work was used for decorative and artistic purposes.
The earliest use of glazed brick as decoration was during the 13th century BC in a temple in the ancient city of Chogha Zanbil in modern-day Iran. Glazed and colored bricks were used to make low reliefs at the famous Ishtar Gate of Babylon, circa 575 BC, the remains of which were partially reconstructed. Examples are exhibited in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin and other museums throughout the world. Craftsmen from Mesopotamia were imported to decorate many palaces in the Persian empire with tile art.
Tile art flourished in Persia and spread throughout most of the Islamic world. The Moors brought it to Spain, where public buildings and mosques were heavily decorated with dense, massive and highly complex patterns and friezes. Floral motifs, calligraphy and geometric patterns were common. In the 15th century, azulejo, a form of painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile work, was introduced in Portugal via the Spanish Moors. Azulejo eventually became an integral part of Portuguese culture.
Azulejos are found throughout Portugal even today, on the exteriors and interiors of churches, palaces, homes and train and subway stations. They comprise a major aspect of Portuguese architecture and chronicle much of the country’s culture and history. Tiles also served the practical function of regulating the temperature in homes and buildings. The widespread use of tile work throughout Europe can be explained in this way; not only was it beautiful, its use supported the architectural technology available in the 1400s through the 1700s in Western Europe.
By the Baroque period, craftsmen produced immense painted scenes on tiles, usually in blue and white tiles. In The Netherlands, where tile art flourished to the point of domination, painted designs covering only one small tile were produced and used to decorate walls, floors and ceilings. These designs were exported throughout Northern Europe. Many royal palaces constructed during the 18th century had rooms covered entirely in porcelain tiles and panels, most notably in Madrid and Naples.