“Tile with Dragon Design”
How about a fantastical Friday?
“Tile with Dragon Design” is a buff earthenware ceramic tile designed in 1872 by the English Arts and Crafts artist, William De Morgan. This tile was in production between 1872 and 1888. The dragon design is a painted bas relief molded onto the earthenware tile.
De Morgan produced this tile at his own ceramic company on Cheyne Row in the Chelsea neighborhood of London, England. With a palette of blue, yellow, and white, this tile features a stylized dragon with its tongue curled out and looking behind. Its eyes are large and wide open. Stylized swirling leaves and foliage decorate the entirety of the background.
De Morgan was heavily influenced by the colorful and fanciful İznik pottery tiles that were produced in Anatolia in modern-day Turkey. This is one of several dragons and other many fantastical creatures that he designed in his workshop. The original design for this tile, a sepia ink and watercolor drawing, is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the South Kensington neighborhood of London, England.
“Tile with Dragon Design” is currently on display at Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England.
For more on William De Morgan, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
