those tiles from the 1800s are encaustic... the color goes all the way through. ceramic tiles are red in the middle and have just a relatively thin layer of color and glaze. porcelain tiles do have a color matched center (look at the edges to tell) but i'm not certain that all of the pattern goes through. at least it would wear off and turn the main color, not red.
Brandi Nash Hicks
Judy Mishkin
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