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Tin-glazed tile: C.53-2023

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Tin-glazed tile

Maker(s)

Pottery: William De Morgan & Co.

Entities

Categories

Description

Tin-glazed earthenware tile; slip-coated and decorated underglaze.

Buff earthenware tile, slip coated and painted underglaze with a circular Persian-style design in turquoise blue, mulberry and green, incorporating variations of the popular ‘BBB’ carnation/thistle design.

Notes

History note: Lent by Rita Smythe

Legal notes

Bequeathed by Ian and Rita Smythe, 2023

Place(s) associated

  • Fulham ⪼ London ⪼ Engand

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

19th Century, Late#
Victoria I
Circa 1888 CE - 1898 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. From 1888-98 he set up at Sands End, Fulham, in partnership with the architect Halsey Ricardo (1854-1928), continuing from 1898-1907 with his kiln-master Frank Iles and decorators Charles and Fred Passenger as his partners.

‘BBB’was designed for the Norwich fireplace manufacturer Barnard, Bishop and Barnard and advertised alongside cast iron fire surrounds in their catalogue. It became one of De Morgan's most popular patterns, used on tiles and other products until the company closed in 1907.

School or Style

Arts and Crafts (movement)

Components of the work

Decoration composed of pigments
Side Square 15.5 cm

Materials used in production

Earthenware

Techniques used in production

Moulding : Earthenware tile; slip-coated and decorated under tin glaze.

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: around Tudor rose

  • Text: W.DE MORGAN & Co. SANDS END POTTERY FULHAM
  • Location: Reverse
  • Method of creation: Impressed circular mark
  • Type: Factory mark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.53-2023
Primary reference Number: 238716
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Tuesday 17 September 2019 Updated: Monday 4 September 2023 Last processed: Wednesday 13 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Tin-glazed tile" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/238716 Accessed: 2024-11-21 19:27:51

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/238716 |title=Tin-glazed tile |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-21 19:27:51|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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