THE STUDIO

The workmanship of the Anton Assanti Studio is borne from the traditions of Italian model makers and ceramicists who were passionate about exacting standards of artistry as witnessed in the graceful twists, turns, and textures of the individual designs.

By being a small studio, we are gifted with the freedom to operate in an uncomplicated fashion, and that allows us to focus all our energy into artfully designed tiles having integrity, longevity and value.

How Our Tiles Are Made

Raw clay looking like ordinary garden soil is sifted and cleaned of earth debris, filtered, and then blended with water and other minerals to form a silky liquid mass termed 'slip.' Plaster molds are used to create an impression of the original tile that was once sculpted out of other special clays or sometimes wood.

Raw clay ready for cleaning and processing into slip.

Parts of the mold are assembled.

We decorate our tiles by hand, compounding and blending our glazes from powders of different colors and densities. However, some like precious gold or bronze originate from a unique liquid suspension that we import from Germany or Mexico. Those metals require utmost care in their preparation otherwise if they do not reach the precise temperature at the appropriate time, they will simply disintegrate in the immense heat of the kilns.

Decorating

Original Series Plaster Molds

Original plaster molds used between 1991- 1993

This silky mass is then poured into plaster molds that serve
to form the design that was once produced by hand modeling.

Now poured into the mold, the clay slip is agitated to release any air bubbles that may have been trapped in the slip before it solidifies. Trapped air bubbles within the clay can make for a brittle or incomplete tile after firing.

Biscuit tiles are made ready for cleaning and glaze applications.

Biscuit And Glaze Firing

Once the separated tile is dry enough, it is then refined by sanding and smoothing to remove any less than satisfactory areas.

With all retouching complete, tiles are placed into a kiln and baked or high-fired to further dry the clays into a state called a ‘biscuit.’ These tiles are then glazed with various colors and once again placed back into the kiln for a final firing; usually in a reduced environment.

After some time, the still liquid slip is poured out of the plaster mold. Because of gypsum or calcium sulfate that gives the product limestone, the slip solidifies inside the plaster mold so that it can be separated out, and the process repeated so more tiles can be made.

Anton Assanti, Proprietor & Designer

ANTON ASSANTI

The Dialect of Luxury Tile

THE STUDIO

Parts of the mold are assembled.

Original Series Plaster Molds

Original plaster molds used between 1991- 1993

This silky mass is then poured into plaster molds that serve
to form the design that was once produced by hand modeling.

Biscuit tiles are made ready for cleaning and glaze applications.

Once the separated tile is dry enough, it is then refined by sanding and smoothing to remove any less than satisfactory areas.

After some time, the still liquid slip is poured out of the plaster mold. Because of gypsum or calcium sulfate that gives the product limestone, the slip solidifies inside the plaster mold so that it can be separated out, and the process repeated so more tiles can be made.

Anton Assanti, Proprietor & Designer

ANTON ASSANTI

The Dialect of Luxury Tile

THE STUDIO

Parts of the mold are assembled.

Original Series Plaster Molds

Original plaster molds used between 1991- 1993

This silky mass is then poured into plaster molds that serve to form the design that was once produced by hand modeling.

Biscuit tiles are made ready for cleaning and glaze applications.

Once the separated tile is dry enough, it is then refined by sanding and smoothing to remove any less than satisfactory areas.

After some time, the still liquid slip is poured out of the plaster mold. Because of gypsum or calcium sulfate that gives the product limestone, the slip solidifies inside the plaster mold so that it can be separated out, and the process repeated so more tiles can be made.

Anton Assanti, Proprietor & Designer

This silky mass is then poured into plaster molds that serve
to form the design that was once produced by hand modeling.