- Style/technique: Victorian slip cast
- Manufacturer: Wedgwood
- Pattern number: V1165
- Dimensions: 6" x 6"
- Date: circa 1895
- Colours: 3
Wedgwood did very few majolica tiles and this is a
great. Outstanding high relief, the central boss is
around as high as the thickness of the tile body, this
was not practicable using the dust pressed moulding
process used for the majority of tiles. It is slip cast,
the means by which complex three dimensional ceramic
shapes like figures are made.
Marks on the back include a painted number V1165 which
presumably is a pattern number and is executed similarly
to the 'Q' series of numbers Wedgwood used for majolica
glaze over transfer print tiles. The V prefix was
apparently used from 1889 to around 1902 for majolica
tiles which although uncommon are usually dust pressed.
Wedgwood is impressed as are the letters 'EHX' and
'I'.
The marks are not representative of those usually
found on Wedgwood tiles perhaps reflecting the unusual
process and that it would not have been made in a tile
works but in the tableware/figures pottery. The design is
consistent with a period at least as long as 1880 - 1906,
dates suggested by a rather speculative interpretation of
the marks. ('I' the latter possibly being a year mark for
1906 or even 1880 or possibly the 'X' from 'EHX' may be
the letter for 1895. Wedgwood used a three letter code
from 1860 - 1907 but they didn't use 'E' for the first
which indicated the month).
