Glazed Tile:
China is well known for having discovered the process of firing clay and producing the finest ceramic tiles. It is interesting to note that glazed tile in ancient China was used exclusively on palace buildings of the imperial house of the big mansions of nobles or high officials.
The glaze was normally in one of the four colors: Yellow, Green, Blue and Black. Tiles were used not just as a building material but as a symbol of political power.
Yellow Tiles could be used only by the Emperor. It was used on the roofs of royal palaces, mausoleums, imperial gardens and temples. Yellow is the color of the Yellow River, the Mother river of the Chinese civilization. The first kings were known as Huangdi or the Yellow Emperor in keeping with the tradition of attributing the yellow color to the Chinese culture.
The cosmological beliefs of the Chinese people divided the cosmos into five elements – fire, earth, water, wood and metal. Earth was considered the center of the cosmos. Yellow was the color of Earth and therefore, the Emperor had rights of its colors. After all he ruled the Earth.
Green tiles were used for the officials’ quarters.
The color of the roof of the Wenyuange Library is black. Legend has it that black is the color of the water element. Black is used to secure the books from the dangers of fire!
The Temple of Heaven has blue tiles as blue is the color of Heaven.
