As a footno te to the history of decorative arts we should mention that the first hydraulic presses were erec te d towards 1850 at Viviers on the embankments of the Rhône, alongside the first cement works. The te chnical and esthetic qualities of this new floor covering led to its rapid development. From Lyon to Marseilles workshops were set up everywhere. On his return to France in 1986 Christian Berthéas launched Carocim Company in Apt. In 1990 Martine Murat, a talented painter and decorator educated in New York and Paris , joined Carocim and enriched the traditional designs with exciting new ideas. Together Christian and Martine have been recreating the sumptuous designs of the past as well as totally new ones.
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Old brochures XIX° and divider |
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With a touch of humour Martine has drawn inspiration from the world of animals to create colorful patchworks depicting tortoises, salamanders, crabs, frogs, and doves. She has invented a decorative style of her own. Attracted by this technique and working in the same spirit, other artists have been asked to contribute designs we have produced. Given their composition – high quality cement and colourings, pure silica sand and white marble powder – our tiles with their deeply embedded designs stand the test of time. Their surfaces are fine and flat, their edges sharp, and over the years they become satin-smooth and mellow. This catalogue presents over 350 models with a range of 18 colours.
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