Encaustic Tile Floor in Green and Cream

In an encaustic tile the pattern is not painted on the surface. It is made of colored clay pressed into the body of the tile, so the design survives even as feet wear the top down over many decades. This tile jigsaw puzzle looks down at an old floor of green and cream tiles, cracked and dusty but still clear. The Victorians laid them in churches and front halls. Many of those floors are still walked on every day.