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William de Morgan & Co's version is known as
the K L Rose. This is the later version, the
earlier correct version is very scarce. It was made
in two (handed) versions.
Owners of 'William de Morgan Tiles' by John
Catleugh can see on page 41 the catalogue
distributed by Morris & Co. There the design
can be seen as originally intended with the leaves
and stems flowing in the correct manner and the
flowers rather more full on.
The major error introduced is the stem on the
left, clearly out of place being an incongruous
almost straight line amidst a pattern full of
movement. The earlier version has the leaf going
right to the edge and the stem approaching the
flower from bottom middle as it should. The
downgrading of the design would have been
sufficient to avoid copyright issues and perhaps
placate the originator.
Generally inferior including in colours for
which de Morgan was most famous (although to give
it/him its due this tile was a decade or more older
than the Booth's tile) on the usual not quite
square biscuit.
This was the first de Morgan tile that I ever
owned, I eventually sold it several years ago (for
more than double today's asking price for the Booth
example) and bought several far superior tiles with
the proceeds :-)
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