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Leo

Design
April 1881 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

William de Morgan (1839-1917) was an eminent designer and potter. He was associated with the Art and Crafts movements and worked closely with William Morris, which shaped his artistic ideals. De Morgan is perhaps best known for his prolific tile production that drew inspiration from Middle-Eastern motifs and Italian Renaissance patterns. Other inspirations included nature, the work of William Morris, medieval art, and 16th- and 17th-century engravings for Dutch tile designs. He was interested in both the technical and aesthetic aspect of ceramic decoration.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLeo (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Pencil with sepia, yellow and pink wash
Brief description
'Leo', dish design by William De Morgan, 1881
Physical description
Circular dish design showing a sailing ship with lion prow; the sails are decorated with a winged beast and a cockerell. The design is pricked for transfer.
Dimensions
  • Height: 449mm
  • Width: 388mm
  • Design diameter: 355mm (Note: taken from Greenwood (1989))
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Leo' (titled in pencil)
  • Ap 81 (dated in pencil)
Credit line
Given by Mrs William de Morgan
Subject depicted
Summary
William de Morgan (1839-1917) was an eminent designer and potter. He was associated with the Art and Crafts movements and worked closely with William Morris, which shaped his artistic ideals. De Morgan is perhaps best known for his prolific tile production that drew inspiration from Middle-Eastern motifs and Italian Renaissance patterns. Other inspirations included nature, the work of William Morris, medieval art, and 16th- and 17th-century engravings for Dutch tile designs. He was interested in both the technical and aesthetic aspect of ceramic decoration.
Bibliographic reference
Published in M. Greenwood, The Designs of William De Morgan (Shepton Beauchamp, 1989), p.51
Collection
Accession number
E.1204-1917

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Record createdJuly 1, 2009
Record URL
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