• Style/technique: Pictorial print
• Manufacturer: Josiah Wedgwood
• Pattern No: T 418
• Dimensions: 6" x 6"
• Date: circa 1885

 

An American landscape print from Wedgwood entitled 'Old Flume', a most detailed engraving in an unusual shade of print, like steel blue with a hint of green. Apparently a waterway through mine workings and of historical or topographical importance, many old flumes are still in existence around the USA, some in parks and they are usually associated with old mine workings. I believe this to be a tile from a series of American landscapes, Lockett lists a series of pattern numbers taken from the Wedgwood pattern book on page 98 of 'Collecting Victorian Tiles' and illustrates an example on page 182, the preceding pattern number T417 which is the 'Landing of the Pilgrims 1620' which seems a little ironic Wedgwood being an english company! This pattern is not on Lockett's list although the preceding and following numbers 417 and 419 are, the pattern numbers cited by Lockett are not all sequential suggesting the series was added to from time to time.

There is a similar tile by Wedgwood entitled 'Hew Flume', it is of the same flume but the boulder wedged between the sides has disappeared apparently because some rock on the right face has broken away, the water is in fuller flood and the timber walkway has also gone. At one time I managed to find out the date that the boulder dropped but can not find the information now, if I recall correctly it was late 1880s and due to a massive flood.

Unusually for a Wedgwood tile this has the makers name printed, the pattern number is also printed on the back together with an 'E' perhaps suggesting it was the fifth pattern in the series.

Condition: Very fine
Price: £95 ($190)
Ref: 01560

A few very tiny glaze chips and spots of wear to the tip of the edges and the lightest of surface marks only. A very clean and bright tile.

The image is full size at 72 dpi (about 430 pixels wide) in maximum quality JPEG format. A larger 120 dpi image also in maximum quality JPEG format can be forwarded by email if required.

The image is a little oversize rather than cropped close to the edges so that the edges can easily be seen and any chips etc can be quickly spotted. Other marks described are usually not visible at all when the tile is viewed straight as one normally sees it and can only be seen with a critical eye when the tile is tilted to catch imperfections in reflected light. For more details of how we describe marks see Condition.

To see current dollar price and convert price to other currencies try this Universal Currency Converter.