The best way to learn about historic houses is to look at them closely, and the most fun way to look at them closely is to do a puzzle showing a wonderful historic house! So, we made a unique and interesting collection of Historic House Puzzles for you to enjoy!
The Victorians loved elaborate patterning, much of it drawn from the landmark publication of Owen Jones’ “Grammar of Ornament” in 1856. These tiles, produced with an embossed pattern combining naturalistic and stylized Art Nouveau floral design elements, and used to form a wainscot, are an excellent example from the 1890s. The British potteries that produced ceramic tiles shipped them all over the globe. Millions of pieces were shipped to the US and used in American homes. These particular tiles were shipped to the jewel in Queen Victoria’s crown, India, specifically to northwest India, where they were used in a Jain temple in the city of Bikaner in the Great Indian Desert. I took this photo there early last year. I have seen identical tiles used for fireplace surrounds and in bathrooms in the US. Historic ceramic tile and sources for reproduction tile are covered in detail in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Click on the dashed box at the top-right in the puzzle box below to open the puzzle to full screen. In the top left, you can change the number of pieces (100 pieces is the default), toggle piece rotation, and change the background color. Then hit “OK” and have fun!