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Iznik-inspired tile

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William De Morgan (British; English, 1839-1917), Iznik-inspired tile, 1882-1888 design; 1898 production
Photo Credit: 

Laura Shea

Not On View
De Morgan, William
British; English (1839-1917)
Place made: 
Europe; United Kingdom; Great Britain; England
Iznik-inspired tile, 1882-1888 design; 1898 production
Ceramic; earthenware with glaze and polychrome pigments on white slip
Overall: 6 1/8 in x 6 1/8 in x 1/2 in; 15.6 cm x 15.6 cm x 1.3 cm
Gift of Kay Althoff
MH 2013.35.4

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)