­Decorative tiles covering expansive exterior walls are important to shaping buildings’ appearance. Reflecting ­changing fashions and craftsmanship, the tiles of each era have a lot to tell us. Kenji Hori­gome, a longtime resident of Taiwan who hails originally from Japan, has combed through documents connecting Taiwan with Japan to reveal some of these tiles’ century-old stories.

Tile terminology

Now semi-retired, Horigome still teaches classes at National Taiwan University’s Graduate Institute of Art History, and his scholarly spirit hasn’t waned in the least. As soon as we have our seats, he insists that we get our terms right. “What are called huazhuan [‘ornate tiles’] in Taiwan are more formally known as ‘majolica tiles,’ and most of those found in Taiwan were made in Japan.”

“At university I majored in architecture, and when I was a student back in the 1960s and 1970s, modernist architecture was all the rage. My instructors would always say that spaces were much more important than decorative surfaces. It fostered in me a bias against overly decorative elements in archi­tecture. It wasn’t until I came to Taiwan that I discovered that decorative elements are also very ­important.”

Thirty years ago, Horigome was appointed as a visiting professor at NTU and by chance came across two majolica tiles in a neighborhood antique shop. On their back sides he found the words “made in Japan,” which piqued his curiosity. He began to collect majolica tiles, uncovering clues about their histories from the country of origin, year of production and registered design numbers noted on their backs. Silently hidden within buildings, these are pieces of information that can greatly assist in preserving cultural heritage via the restoration, preservation, and reuse of architectural artifacts.

To amp up the ostentation, Taiwanese used to decorate the exteriors of their residences with majolica tiles. (courtesy of Kenji Horigome)

When Kenji Horigome came across majolica tiles in Taiwan, he embarked on a long journey of historical research.

Replacements for Cochin ware

The decorative majolica tiles commonly found on Taiwan’s old red-brick homes are rarely found in Japan. Most Japanese residences were traditionally wooden structures with wattle-and daub walls and generally muted in color, so colorful majolica tiles wouldn’t have worked well there, he notes. Conversely, it was easy to affix these tiles to the largely brick residences of Taiwan. What’s more, Taiwanese have never been averse to showing off a bit by adding decorative elements to exterior walls.

“Majolica tiles could be described as having been substitutes for earlier decorative elements,” Horigome says. It used to be that wealthy Taiwanese would decorate their homes with Cochin-ware tiles or mosaic tiles. Once introduced, majolica tiles were regarded as creating a similar architectural effect. But since they were easier to install, majolica tiles became the new favorite for Taiwan’s residences.

The unusual tiles in Sanxia’s Jiusheng dental clinic were salvaged in the 1920s from the Residence of the Civil Affairs Chief in Taipei. They are decorated with an old-fashioned pattern predating the time when Japanese producers began to be influenced by European styles.

Apart from adding decorative flair, glazed window tiles allow for the passage of air and light.

Majolica tiles feature all manner of richly colored designs that vary from nation to nation.

The minimalist use of simple lines is typical of modernist tiles.

From brick to tile

“Modern tiles have evolved from making red bricks thinner.” He explains that to trace in detail the evolution of modern ceramic tiles, it is necessary to go back to old akarenga buildings. Akarenga (red brick) buildings began to be popular in Japan around the start of the Meiji era (1868), and they rose in fashion in Taiwan with the arrival of Japanese archi­tects. In the early 20th century, many public buildings in Taiwan were constructed of red brick. But Horigome emphasizes that “red” doesn’t necessarily mean “brick.” The Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation building (formerly the Monopoly Bureau of the Governor-General’s Office, built in 1913) and the Jinan Presbyterian Church (1916) are classic examples of true red-brick buildings. To beautify the exteriors, workers would lay the higher-­quality bricks (those with smoother, glossier surfaces) on the outside of buildings. In those days the pattern of the brickwork was left visible. But close examination of the exterior walls of the Taichung Railway Station (1917) and the Presidential Office Building (formerly the Taiwan Governor-­General’s Office, 1919) reveal that while the inner structure of the walls consisted of bricks laid in courses in the normal way, the brickwork was covered over with red ceramic tiles the same size as the end faces of the bricks. It thus became a trend that thin ceramic tiles were used to cover exterior surfaces of buildings. 

Built in 1916, the Jinan Presbyterian Church (originally the Taihoku Saiwai-cho Church) is a classic red brick structure. It is now designated a municipal historic site.

Built in 1919, the Presidential Office Building (formerly the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office) is faced with red tiles that resemble bricks.

Fashionable colors

In 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake toppled many of Japan’s red-brick buildings constructed from the Meiji era onwards. Thenceforth, the nation’s construction industry turned toward reinforced concrete. “But a weak point of reinforced concrete is that the exterior surfaces absorb water and need to be protected. Architects immediately thought of ceramic tiles,” Horigome says. “In the Meiji era red brick represented modernity, but after the Great Kanto Earthquake, everyone thought that red was passé.” Consequently, you started to see ceramic tiles in brown, yellow, white and even various shades of green. “At the same time, developments in manufacturing technologies yielded a wide variety of new tiles, such as rough-textured ‘rustic tiles,’ ‘scratch tiles,’ and ribbed tiles, as well as ‘tapestry tiles,’ terracotta tiles, and more. Use of these tiles spread to Taiwan, and they can be found in buildings in various Taiwanese cities.”

Buildings with exterior walls clad in these tiles first appeared in the later years of the Japanese era and continued into the postwar era, when modernist architecture reigned supreme. In shades of muted yellow, green and gray, the tiles came to be known as “national defense color tiles” in Taiwan. But Horigome says that camouflage achieves its effect from the mix of dark and light shades, and a large building covered in “national defense color” tiles would have limited military advantage. “I believe that they weren’t in fact chosen for reasons of national defense but rather because the colors were in fashion back then.”

The Taipei Post Office, built in 1930, features yellow-brown ribbed tiles on its exterior.

Built in 1934, the Judicial Yuan building features scratch tiles on its exterior.

Fantastic journey of building materials

Horigome pulls out an interesting floor tile from his collection that came from a corridor in the old Jiusheng dental clinic on Ren’ai Street in Sanxia, New Taipei City. He talked to Chen Zhongzhou, who took over running the clinic from his father. Chen explained that back at the end of the Taishō era (1912–1926) Taiwan faced shortages of building supplies. Consequently his father, Chen Wenzan, put in a bid for materials being pulled from a building that was being torn down in the Residence of the Civil Affairs Chief complex, located between the Governor-General’s Office and the Governer-General's Residence (now the Taipei Guest House). “Back in an era when these resources were truly treasured, it was not unusual for materials to be salvaged from old buildings.”

Examining this legendary batch of imprint-­patterned siki-gawara (floor tiles), Horigome published a paper exploring their style and origins. As the tiles were made in an archaic style dating from before Japan was influenced by Western European ceramic tiles, the paper conjectures that they were introduced to Taiwan during the early years of Japanese rule. Considering their era of manufacture and their rarity in Japan as well as in Taiwan, they should be regarded as extremely valuable cultural assets. But the paper also points out that the ceramic tiles on buildings are often lost when buildings are razed.

The Taipei Zhongshan Hall (1936) was originally known as the Taipei City Public Auditorium. Featuring various types of tiles on its exterior walls, including tapestry tiles, the building is a national historic site.

A tile with a global history

The techniques for making majolica tiles left their birthplace in the Islamic world to influence the development of ceramics in Italy, the Netherlands, France, and other nations. Around the middle of the 16th century, they reached England. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, industrial advancements and technological innovations in majolica production later led to the development of popular British Victorian tiles.

These tiles were introduced to Japan in the late Edo period (1603–1867) and early Meiji period (1868–1912), when Japanese craftsmen began studying and developing tiles based on Victorian tile samples. By the early 20th century, Japan had developed a dry-­forming method of tile production, rapidly improving quality and consistency, and it began exporting majolica tiles.

Export markets included China, Southeast Asia, India and the Americas. “Taiwan was a Japanese colony, and more than 90% of the majolica tiles on Taiwan’s residences were manufactured in Japan,” estimates Horigome. Japanese companies created tiles to suit local tastes, with auspicious images and fruits common on tiles shipped to Taiwan and Sanskrit words and Hindu gods on those exported to India.

These small tiles tell a tale of economic geography and globalization. Britain’s tile manufacturing technology and general industrial preeminence once gave it the lion’s share of the global market. As a latecomer, Japan at first imitated, striving to develop tiles of comparable quality. Taking advantage of its location and its empire, Japan then began exporting majolica tiles, with Taiwan its first target market. Builders here beautified many of the island’s facades and rooftops with these tiles.

These small objects helped to shape many cityscapes, all the while connecting Japan and Taiwan with each other, as well as to Southeast Asia, China and even European countries such as the United Kingdom. Without delving deeply into these tiles’ history, you’d never know how these seemingly commonplace items link the world together and provide an endless source of fascination.

The Agricultural Exhibition Hall at National Taiwan University is a postwar modernist building built in 1963. Designed by the architect Chang Chao-kang, it is known around campus as “Holey Hall” thanks to the porthole-like ceramic tubes featured on its exterior walls.