Classical Figures with Musical Instruments

Object Type
The demand for wall tiles increased rapidly in the later 19th century. One of the most popular uses of tiles was in conjunction with fireplaces. While tiles had been used in this way for centuries, the new cast-iron grates that began to appear in this period were specifically designed to be set with tiles, which were fitted to metal panels that bolted onto the frame. Pictorial tiles were especially popular for this purpose, and many series of picture tiles were produced.

Production Methods
The mass production of tiles was greatly facilitated by the invention of dust-pressing in the 1840s. In this process tiles were formed by compacting powdered clay under high pressure in a screw-press. As many as 1,800 tiles a day could made on a single press, operated by two people. As well as increasing the speed with which tiles could be made, dust-pressing also ensured that a consistently high-quality product was achieved, much less prone to warping. The perfect regularity of this example is typical of tiles made in this way.

People
John Moyr Smith originally trained as an architect, but later became an artist, book illustrator and designer, as well as being editor of the magazine Decoration. He was a prolific designer of tiles, and worked primarily for Mintons Ltd. Many of his designs, including the series of 'Classical Figures with Musical Instruments' from which this tile comes, were used to decorate objects at Minton's Art Pottery Studio in London, as well for mass production of tiles at the Stoke-on-Trent factory. His other picture tile designs for Mintons include a series of scenes from Shakespeare and another illustrating 'Early English History'.