An excellent enamelled majolica tile designed
for a frieze or border most likely by A. W. N.
Pugin. The most amazing colours especially given
the date, vibrant lime green, luscious mauve,
chocolate brown - looks like an advert for a
blackcurrant, lime and milk chocolate candy bar.
The amazing on-screen colours are true if your
computer is properly set up ~ we don't enhance
images.
Pugin had a close relationship with Herbert
Minton in the early days of industrial tile
manufacture and so likely with Michael Hollins
too as he managed the Minton & Co tile
business from 1845. Many of Pugin's designs
whilst in the gothic style are pretty, light and
bright quite contrary to current perceptions of
the style, they are often attributed to
Christopher Dresser who did not design any
tiles, see
here for more. The designs stood the test of
time being featured in Mintons Ltd tile
catalogue until at least the 1890s and indeed
new Pugin tile designs were introduced over two
decades after his death, Mintons Ltd simply
copied them from his book Floriated
Ornament.
This tile is difficult to date with certainty
closer than a few decades, most that come to
market are described as 1840s or 1850s but they
were technically impossible at such dates and
being dust pressed they should have carried
Prosser's Patent mark until 1854. Decoratively
similar majolica tiles may have been introduced
around 1850 using plastic clay but not dust
pressed as this and the vast majority of
original majolica tiles.
The decorative effect of the technique was
not surpassed until the early 20thC and the
combination of durability and decor never
surpassed as far as I am aware or at least not
in large scale commercial tile production. Being
very expensive (not as Wm de Morgan & Co
tiles though!) their later market would have
been very limited but nevertheless it would have
existed, the most important selling point with
decorative items is colour and by the 1880s
underglaze tinted transfer prints were available
in even brighter colours at a fraction of the
price. Better quality than de Morgan too! -
slightly thicker than usual 19thC tiles and
dense semi-vitrified clay.
The Minton & Co name was used on tiles
from the 1830s onwards and continued even after
Herbert Minton's nephew Michael Hollins became
proprietor of the tile business in 1868. The
name Minton Hollins had been in use since 1840
but Minton & Co continued in use in to the
twentieth century. On versos it seems that they
continued to use existing dies until they wore
out with new dies bearing the naming Minton
Hollins & Co. These tiles are most likely
quite early, around 1860, as the crispness of
the dies and in particular the letter punches on
most is very good and sharp.
Verso near perfectly clean, embossed Minton
& Co, Stoke on Trent.
