• Style/technique: Art Nouveau tube line
• Manufacturer: Unattributed
• Pattern number: 10/3
• Dimensions: 6" x 6"
• Date: circa 1907
• Colours: 4

 

An excellent hand decorated art nouveau design with absolutely super colours, rich persian blue background, flame red flowers and good greens for the leaves and stems. It is impossible to understated the superlative nature of the colours, fantastic in the images, even better in real life. Furthermore the pleasure of them is not impaired by scratches, matting or any kind of detraction, even with a relatively simple design one of these tiles would occupy a starring role in all but the most extensive collections of art nouveau tiles.

The low pattern number suggests a new company. Verso pattern is as used by Rhodes who are reported to have started in 1902 so it's possibly one of their designs although the colours aren't typical for Rhodes and seem rather early at 1902. James Plant is also a potential being new to art nouveau tile making at around the right time and using some unusual colours but given the low pattern number it could be a rare company, so rare that they are never identified. On the other hand Rhodes biscuit was not usually of the highest quality so it seems unlikely that outside decorators would chose it. Little does the manufacturer matter because the tiles stand up for themselves especially the super colours.

Verso very clean with rails in Rhodes pattern and with England embossed and pattern number written in glaze.

Condition: Near perfect
Price: £145 (approx $295)
Ref: 02640

Very tiny chip bottom left corner, half a dozen points of wear on the outline mostly at intersections, few exceedingly minor surface marks. Some minor manufacturing imperfections, excellent brilliance in the glazes.

Condition: Near perfect
Price: £135 (approx $275)
Ref: 02640C

Three very short, about 1/4 inch, strips of wear on the raised outline, another three points of wear on the outline mostly at intersections, few exceedingly minor surface marks. Some minor manufacturing imperfections, excellent brilliance in the glazes.

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.