“Honeysuckle” (“Sprig of Flowers”)
Another tile design I want to decorate my house with.
“Honeysuckle”, called “Sprig of Flowers” in its current collection, is a tin-glazed earthenware polychrome ceramic tile designed circa 1880 by the English Arts and Crafts artist, William De Morgan. This tile was in production between circa 1880 and 1890. It was manufactured by Craven Dunhill & Co Ltd., a ceramic tile manufacturer in Bridgnorth, England, still in operation to this day.
The arts and crafts movement in the late nineteenth century brought a revival in tile design and manufacturing. De Morgan was heavily influenced by the colorful and fanciful İznik pottery tiles that were produced in Anatolia in the late sixteenth century in modern-day Turkey.
This is one of several flower compositions De Morgan designed in his workshop. His floral designs were some of his most sought after works. The “Honeysuckle” design depicts honeysuckle flowers, buds, stems, and leaves, painted against a brilliant turquoise background.
Like many of his other designs, this tile was created to work as either a stand-alone decorative tile, or as an interconnected design with several tiles placed together. With the flattened perspective in this design, many see the influence of William Morris.
“Honeysuckle” (“Sprig of Flowers”) is currently in the collections of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in Birmingham, England.
For more on William De Morgan, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
