{"id":44112,"date":"2018-07-17T08:24:58","date_gmt":"2018-07-17T08:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bocadolobo.com\/blog\/?p=44112"},"modified":"2023-03-20T16:41:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T16:41:10","slug":"the-art-of-hand-painted-tiles-behind-boca-do-lobos-luxury-furniture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bocadolobo.com\/blog\/design-agenda\/boca-do-lobo-news\/the-art-of-hand-painted-tiles-behind-boca-do-lobos-luxury-furniture\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Hand-Painted Tiles Behind Boca do Lobo\u2019s Luxury Furniture"},"content":{"rendered":"Being one of the most representative art forms of the Portuguese culture, the renowned hand painted tiles<\/em><\/strong> reflect a tradition with hundreds of years.\n\n\n
Article You\u2019ll Love: Visit Boca do Lobo Design Gallery And Discover Our Most-Wanted Pieces<\/a>\n<\/h5>\n \n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPortugal, the country of whimsical beaches, Porto\u00a0wine, seafood, and also azulejos<\/strong>. Even people who\u00a0aren\u2019t familiar with the term, they visually recall the\u00a0ceramic tiles<\/strong> painted in blue artistic patterns, repeated\u00a0in many historical buildings or as rich accent elements such as\u00a0house numbers. Profoundly linked to architectural<\/strong> use, it is\u00a0usually applied as wall covering decoration, layering large surface\u00a0areas on both the inside and outside of buildings.\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nBeing one of the most representative art forms of the Portuguese\u00a0culture, the hand-painted tiles<\/em><\/strong> reflect a tradition with hundreds\u00a0of years, and it often portrays scenes from our history or its\u00a0fabulous sights. Azulejo<\/strong> is a clay or ceramic plate piece, generally\u00a0with a square shape decorated with glazed colorful designs,\u00a0and the majority of tiles<\/strong><\/em> shows Moorish designs which have\u00a0curvilinear, lacelike and looping designs, or even have geometric\u00a0or floral motifs.\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nA very ornate yet refined element which inspired the Heritage\u00a0series from Boca do Lobo<\/strong>, a collection that displays different\u00a0layers, each one illustrating a different story. Among the remaining\u00a0Portuguese artists of azulejo<\/strong> and a member of our team is Mr. Ara\u00fajo, a brilliant mind who is always looking to create antique\u00a0things and historic panels yet in a forward-thinking way. An artist\u00a0who loves to draw and to paint since he was a little boy.\n\n\"Azulejos,<\/a>\n
\u201cI wanted to study Fine Arts, but my mother worked at\u00a0a ceramics factory where they had a very old painting\u00a0section. I had the opportunity to work only for the\u00a0summer holidays, but actually, I love it and I stayed\u00a0for years.\u201d<\/blockquote>\nLaying the chequered patterns is a slow and complex and therefore expensive practice, a factor which gradually and sadly led to the\u00a0disappearance of the art. \u201cThe master at the company I worked for\u00a0believed in a very important thing: continuation, to guarantee the transition of knowledge from generation to generation\u201d. At the time,\u00a0the colleagues of Mr. Ara\u00fajo were 60 years old and the manager was\u00a0worried enough to bring in young people.\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n\u201cWe had the opportunity\u00a0to learn with those masters that left us with that legacy\u201d. At the moment, those painters abandoned the craft or prefer to work in\u00a0their private ateliers. It\u2019s hard to teach the new generation while\u00a0working on their own. \u201cThe way we perform today is the same it\u00a0has being done for the last 40 years, and certainly how it will be\u00a0done for the next 40 years.\u201d\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n

THE ART BEHIND THE PROCESS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nThe process is very meticulous. A tile<\/strong><\/em> is chosen to see if it is cracked,\u00a0the good ones have a hollow sound when hit against each other.\u00a0 The drawing is on a parchment paper that is drawn with a graffiti pen and stamped with a coal pencil in the tile<\/strong><\/em>. The paintwork<\/strong> is\u00a0done with water-based paint, a powder that is mixed with water to work the density.\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nTo have the paint in the exact thickness requires\u00a0knowledge: not too watery and not too strong. If it is too thick, the\u00a0brush starts dragging, if it is too watery, it will be difficult to achieve\u00a0the expected tone. The outline is made from the contour brush, and\u00a0artists keep brushing, avoiding it gets laid on the bottom. After it, the background is painted with a swath brush to highlight the piece,\u00a0then the dark shades for the highlights and more watery paint for\u00a0the shades until the frame is completed. The azulejo<\/strong> goes to the oven and the rest of the coal disappears. It is done.\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nThe challenge today has been to find new aesthetic concepts since the tile itself will be always the same. \u201cWhen Boca do Lobo\u00a0approach me for the Heritage project, I was thrilled. It is a very\u00a0beautiful piece, with all the tiles, glass details and the interior in gold leaf.<\/strong> The Heritage series features many artists, including Jorge\u00a0Cola\u00e7a, a great master of Portuguese Azulejo\u201d<\/strong>.\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nOriginally, azulejos<\/strong> appeared in Portugal under the Moorish people\u00a0in the XV century. Although there are many people who claimed the word is a derivation of \u201cazul\u201d, the Portuguese word for \u201cblue\u201d;\u00a0the word originally Arabic and comes from az-zulayj, translated\u00a0as \u201cpolished stone\u201d. Since then, no other country has been used\u00a0the art with such consistency and in so many ways for over five\u00a0centuries, meaning it is already part of the Portuguese soul, earning\u00a0the recognition of the most meaningful place for this timeless skill.\u00a0There is no surprise that one of the most iconic pieces from Boca do Lobo honors this treasurable fine art.\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n

HERITAGE SIDEBOARDS<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\nHand-painted tiles<\/em><\/strong> have gained a privileged place in architecture throughout the centuries. Portugal has adopted them like no other country has and in order to honor the Portuguese hand-painted tiles<\/strong>, Boca do Lobo created Heritage Sideboard<\/strong>. This piece presents a different number of layers, where each one tells a different story.\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n

<\/h4>\n

HERITAGE CABINETS<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\nHeritage is an elegant luxury furniture piece<\/strong> to compliment the decoration of any interior setting. A highly coveted ensemble of hand-painted tiles<\/em><\/strong> like those of an expertly curated art collection brings together master artisans and craftsmen for Boca do Lobo\u2019s Heritage. In its interior, there is one door and four drawers, fully lined with gold leaf<\/strong>.\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

HERITAGE DINING TABLE<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
\n

<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nThe Heritage Dining Table<\/a>, much like its sibling Heritage Sideboard and Cabinet, is a highly sophisticated piece inspired by Portuguese history through the use of traditional hand-painted azulejo tiles<\/strong>. Its noble design features bold lines, with alternating polished brass<\/strong>, beveled mirror and azulejo strips and a tempered glass top, which reflect your dining room\u2019s finest elements, yet adding a touch of warmth and finesse.\n\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

HERITAGE NIGHTSTAND<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nThe Heritage Nightstand<\/a> is influenced by the Azulejo<\/strong>, a landmark in Portuguese culture. Originating from the Arabic word zellige, this traditional\u00a0hand-painted tile\u00a0<\/strong>that can be found all over the country, from churches to houses and gardens and was often used to tell tales of Portuguese history. Superb for any graceful ambiance, this unique nightstand references the importance of history, our ancestors, and heritage, with a touch of blue or sepia glamour, for cold or warmer looks.\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

COLECCIONISTA BOOKCASE<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n
\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\nThe drawers\u2019 typology can be chosen according to your tastes and preferences. You may even be inspired by all Boca do Lobo pieces to chose different types of drawers. This Coleccionista can be placed on or against a wall or it can serve as a separator division. The drawers have double sided in order you can decorate both divisions, as well as to ensure the functionality of this piece of furniture.\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nBoca\u00a0<\/strong>do\u00a0Lobo\u2019s most iconic projects with Heritage designs:<\/strong>\n<\/h4>\n
\"interior<\/a>\n
Heritage Sideboard \u2013 Spanish embassy, Lisbon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"interior<\/a>\n\n
Heritage Sideboard \u2013 Salone del Mobile 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"interior<\/a>\n\n
Bespoke Heritage Sideboard \u2013 Cococo Restaurant, St. Petersburg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"interior<\/a>\n\n
Bespoke Heritage Dining Table \u2013 Fairmont Hotel, Washington\n
\n
\n

<\/p>