Iznik-inspired tile

William De Morgan was involved in the British Arts and Crafts movement, which advocated for the rejection of industrial arts and a return to hand crafting. De Morgan’s designs draw heavily upon the decorative arts of the Islamic world, and in particular the 16th–17th century ceramics of Ottoman Turkey. The circular carnations as well as blue three-pronged tulips all derive from the stylized imagery of the Ottoman floral style. These tiles would have originally been joined by a matching number in a different design to create a cohesive composition, and a dazzling backdrop in an upper-class Victorian home.

-Kendra Weisbin, Associate Curator of Education, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum (Sept. 2016)