Sectional is derived from the Latin ‘secare’ which means to cut. Instead of annoying squares that intersect the images in an entirely involuntary way, the sectional designer made use of the main lines of the composition. He cut the joints of the tiles along these lines. It shows many similarities with the stained glass technique.
Co-director H. W. Mauser is responsible for the technical development of the section and some of these sectional tableaus can still be found in the museum’s Ceramic Rooms: the Schrijver (a first test from 1899, for which ordinary tiles of 10 x 10 were still used), The Adoration of Christ by the Three Kings (gold at the World Exhibition 1900), A Frieze with Fishes (1900) and the beautiful Lusthof (along with Envy and Mondscheinsonate gold medalist at the First International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Turin/1902). These designs were all by Le Comte.
