This is a wonderful tile, not one of those
that grabs initially but it really is very very
good and the appreciation grows over time. It's
a two colour tile, there are more than most
imagine because the colours are very close and
it's a lovely light, bright and very well
executed design. A puce outline print coloured
with a slightly lighter shade of pink you need a
good eye or good observation to see the
subtlety.
This technique most often used for blues, a
dark blue outline and brighter cobalt blue for
the colouring the reason there being clear,
cobalt blue was prone to leeching in to the
glaze hence flow blue wares so to bring
crsipness to blue designs the outline was
printed in indian blue and the cobalt blue hand
painted. Pinks were also very problematic
colours, we have solid evidence on Mintons
experimenting printing pinks as late as the
1890s, and not being very succesful at it!
It really takes an eye glass to appreciate
the skill and work that went in to these tiles,
all those tiny little beads on the ends of the
stamens and leaves in the ring are meticulously
painted, these were very expensive tiles to
produce so it is not surprising that these are
the first I have seen. Also on the thicker half
an inch 'hearth quality' tiles although these
were fitted in to furniture, a furniture maker
of highest quality no doubt.
There's an incomplete lozenge registration
mark on the edge so the design no later than
1883, it is not in the catalogue in this
colourway but is with an accompanying tile in
brown and gold the colourway originating
in1898.
Verso very clean embossed Minton etc.
