Daisy

Object Type
Hand-painted tiles became a popular feature of artistic interiors from the 1860s onwards. Such tiles regularly appear in houses decorated in the Arts and Crafts style, and were used widely by exponents of vernacular architecture such as Richard Norman Shaw (1831-1912). The most common setting for such tiles was in and around the fireplace.

People
William Morris's love of medieval imagery is well known. In addition, however, he shared with many of his contemporaries a keen interest in vernacular British architecture and decorative art of the 17th and 18th centuries. This enthusiasm is demonstrated in his approach to tile making. This was carried out using a variation of the techniques that had previously been employed by the manufacturers of tin-glazed earthenware (delftware) tiles.

Materials & Making
Rather than painting decoration onto the raw glaze, as is normal practice in the production of tin-glazed earthenware, William Morris bought in already glazed and fired tile blanks from The Netherlands. These were subsequently decorated and fired in a kiln intended for stained glass. This led to various technical problems, and Morris & Co. tiles are often of variable quality. Perhaps because of this, Morris later switched production of his tile designs to The Netherlands. 'Daisy' was one of Morris's most popular patterns, and both British and Dutch versions of the design are known.