- Style/technique: Victorian Majolica
- Manufacturer: Mintons China Works
- Pattern number: E2723B
- Dimensions: 6" x 3"
- Date: Circa 1898
- Colours: 7
This is a great tile in seven super colours,
butterflies are not often depicted on tiles and
rarely in coloured majolica. Just pre-dating art
nouveau when Mintons China Works finally really
discovered colours and majolica, for two decades
they had focussed on mechanical decoration,
Reynold's Patent printing, and in a limited
range of colours.
The pattern number suggests a creation date
of 1894 and the style is interesting given the
date. It could easily be called Art Nouveau but
predates the Art Nouveau period, or maybe one
could call it an extremely early example of the
style, before the style had a name as Bing
didn't open La Maison d'Art Nouveau until
December 1895. I contend that it is really a
Queen Anne or Classical style with its rows of
beads, and that the flowerheads are simply
slightly larger versions of the miniature buds
that adorn such designs simplified for the
majolica technique.
Style matters little because it is a
beautiful object, I find it difficult to think
that anyone could not like this tile. Apart from
the beauty of the butterfly the colours are very
pleasing, soft but not weak. It is quite
surprising that butterflies are not better
represented on decorative tiles, they are one of
the most beautiful examples of the work of
nature.
Verso near perfectly clean, embossed name
etc, pattern number hand written.
