Description An incredible 6×6 pressed-relief tile by Mueller Mosaic Company of Trenton, New Jersey, salvaged from the historic Windsor House—also known as the Castle Above the Clouds—on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. Installed during the home’s lavish 1930s construction, this piece formed part of an extraordinary Arts-and-Crafts–era architectural commission in which Mueller supplied both custom work and catalog designs throughout the residence. This tile is a segment of the playful tile design found in the curved foyer (pictured), sculpted in deep, fluid relief with the crisp mold definition strongly associated with Mueller’s mid-1930s work. The tile is in very good antique condition with a slight curve; the design of this tile requires 4 tiles to complete the pattern. The interior featured one of the most extensive and artistically ambitious decorative tile installations of its era in the region—executed with a level of craftsmanship and expense rarely seen outside California’s major tile-producing studios. As the Windsor House now undergoes dismantling and salvage, surviving tiles such as this represent a rare, historically significant remnant of the estate’s original 1930s decorative program.
