Tile — Morris, William — 1870-1880

<b>Object Type</b><br>Hand-painted tiles became a popular feature of artistic interiors from the 1860s onwards. Such tiles regularly appear in houses decorated in the Arts and Crafts style, and were used widely by exponents of vernacular architecture such as Richard Norman Shaw (1831-1912). The most common setting for such tiles was in and around the fireplace.<br><br><b>People</b><br>An associate of Morris, with whom he sometimes collaborated in the production of tiles, William De Morgan became the leading pottery and tile manufacturer associated with the Arts and Crafts movement. Having previously experimented with a kiln in the cellar of his parents' home, De Morgan established his own workshop in Chelsea in 1872.<br><br><b>Design & Designing</b><br>William De Morgan's sister-in-law Mrs A.M.W. Stirling recalled that he had said, 'Morris never made but three designs for my execution, the Tulip and Trellis, the Poppy and another - I forget the name. I never could work except by myself and in my own manner.' The 'Tulip and Trellis' design was, in fact, produced concurrently by both Morris's firm and De Morgan. The Morris & Co. version was, however, painted solely in blue.