Three ‘BBB’ tiles: C.52-2023

Place(s) associated

• Chelsea ⪼ London ⪼ England
• Merton Abbey ⪼ Surrey ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (2023) by Smythe, Ian and Rita

Dating

19th Century, Late#
Victoria I
Circa 1872 CE - 1888 CE

Note

William Frend De Morgan (1839-1917), now widely regarded as the most important ceramicist of the Arts & Crafts movement, also worked in stained glass, became a successful novelist and, in 1887, married the Pre-Raphaelite painter Evelyn Pickering (1855-1919). He experimented widely with techniques and glazes, re-discovering methods for making and applying lustres and the colours of Persian and Iznik pottery and using them for a range of complex fantasy designs featuring ships, birds, flora and animals. De Morgan was based at Chelsea from 1872 and Merton Abbey (next door to Morris’s factory) from 1882-8.

‘BBB’was designed for the Norwich fireplace manufacturer Barnard, Bishop and Barnard and advertised alongside cast iron fire surrounds in their catalogue. Two of these tiles were made at Chelsea and the other at Merton Abbey. The design, one of the most popular tile patterns, continued in production until the company closed in 1907.

School or Style

Arts and Crafts (movement)