- Condition: Good
- Price: £155 (approx $245)
- Ref: 03504
A most rare and interesting tile from Mintons China
Works being of the arts & crafts style and with the
Patent Morocco surface finish. The 'orange tree' design
in all 'all over' style similar to wallcoverings and
fabrics of the era and widely associated with William
Morris. The design appears on sheet one of the Mintons
catalogue with pattern number 1500 indicating a creation
date in the first half of the 1870s.
Tiles made with this Patent Morocco technique are
described thus in the Mintons catalogue, "The above
are patterns of the New Patent "MOROCCO' Tiles may be
done in all tints of Colour. The surface being Granulated
and Semi-Vitreous the mat or deadened effect is suitable
for those purposes where Glazed Tiles are
objectionable".
Such Morocco tiles are very rare, they were not
produced for very long by Mintons China Works standards,
they appear on Sheet 1 of the Mintons catalogue and were
the first range of patterns to be removed from the
catalogue. Furthermore they are more subject to
deterioration over time due to the design of many of
fireplaces in to which they were fitted. Prone to rising
damp as the tiles sat directly on the hearth or only
separated by a slender strip of cast iron they readily
took up rising moisture which in turn caused the plaster
adhesive to expand creating stresses. Alternately they
dried out with the fire and in the summer months the
stresses caused by the repeated expansion and contraction
resulting in cracks and edge damage. Also the iron side
borders were often separate and bolted on so were often a
tight fit on the tiles with the potential of futher edge
damage.
Verso clean, embossed Mintons etc.
- Style/technique: Arts & Crafts Patent
Morocco
- Manufacturer: Mintons China Works
- Dimensions: 8" x 8"
- Date: circa 1880
Half a dozen rim chips from quite large bottom left
corner to very tiny, a couple of tiny surface chips which
otherwise is unmarked.
