Daisy
Tile
1862-1881 (made), ca. 1862 (designed)
1862-1881 (made), ca. 1862 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Daisy (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Hand-painted on tin-glazed earthenware |
| Brief description | 'Daisy' tile |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | British Galleries:
This is one of Morris's first designs for tiles, sold by the Morris company from 1862. Tiles were the least expensive of all their products and they had a variety of uses in fireplaces, in furniture and on walls. Morris tiles were painted onto plain blanks produced by other firms and then fired in a stained-glass kiln.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by J. R. Holliday |
| Object history | Designed by William Morris (born in London, 1834, died there in 1896); produced by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., London; using a blank tile supplied from The Netherlands |
| Summary | 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. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.58-1931 |
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| Record created | May 26, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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