This piece of cement tile is reproduced from the patterns of tiles placed in the house where Hemingway lived between 1931-1939. The house is a Spanish style villa, which was bought and redecorated by Hemingway, and now it is “Hemingway Home & Museum” open to the public.

The cement tiles with flying fish and seabird motif is placed on the washroom floor of “Hemingway Home”, which is representative Art Nouveau style, constituting of three colours with yellow, white and black.

According to the limited world history of cement tiles, we cannot know the designer and manufacture of this tile, but we think the patterns of the tile was customized by Hemingway himself because of his love for the sea, even making people rethink of the phrase of 《The Old Man and the Sea》 written by Hemingway.

“he began to row out of the harbour in the dark. There were other boats from the other beaches go ing out to sea and the old man heard the dip and push of their oars even though he could not see them…In the dark the old man could feel the morning coming and as he rowed he heard the trembling sound as flying fish left the water and the hissing that their stiff set wings made as they soared away in the darkness. “

 “Reproduction” is a continuous project of NANCHOW. We will search and record the application of cement tiles in architect in the worldwide
from the past and now and choose the unique and beautiful patterns to reproduce
as a tribute to the history of cement tiles.