• Condition: Fairly good
• Price: £125 (approx $206)
• Ref: #10047

• Style/technique: Aesthetic majolica
• Made by: Steele & Wood
• Dimensions: 6" x 6"
• Date: circa 1888

From a fireplace these have seen some use with wear and chips to the outline and edges. All have firing shrinkage cracks and one has been broken and repaired nevetheless will look very presentable in a traditional cast iron fireplace where edges are hidden and tiles can be sited for optimum display.

 

A rare genre of tile, aesthetic majolica, decorated in the english interpretation of Japonisme with carnations, cracked ice and that particular stylistic line of plant stems.

All tiles have manufacturing flaws so likely were seconds, there are a high proportion of firing shrinkage flaws in the relatively few Steele & Wood majolica tiles that we see. Little has been known of Steele & Wood until recent research has identified many of their wares most of which are transfer printed and it seems that they failed to make the transition to majolica and ceased trading around 1890. Possibly with origins as the earthenware makers Wood & Baggeley of Burslem it appears that they started tile making in the late 1870s. They were mechanical decorators with a good range of printed tiles including several picture series very similar to those of Mintons Ltd and their wares are often so attributed (especially on eBay!). They were early colour printers with block prints and a more subtle colour printing technique enabling the mixing of colours unlike the solid block printing of Mintons Ltd, Webbs etc. Likely supplied bisuit to other decorators and made tiles as OEM perhaps for Doulton and Jackson Bros amongst others.

Versos are generic rails and unmarked.