Rare Precious Metals Aesthetic Japonesque Tiles Condition: Fine Price: £380 (approx $523) Stock number: 03789 UK Special Delivery +£11 Europe Priority +£16 US and World Priority +£26 Currency Converter Ask a question One very tiny rim chip, decoration very nearly flawless, some wear/losses to the minor gilding.   • Style: Aesthetic Movement Japanesque • Technique: Painted in presious metals • Maker: Mintons Studio • Dimensions: 6" x 6" • Date: circa 1880   These are really rare tiles, aesthetic japonesque waterscapes of cranes feeding and bamboo growing on islands, wonderfully free hand painted with a black outline and coloured with gold, platinum and rhodium. Austwicks report that Mintons employed two japanese artists around 1880 and this may be their work, certainly captures the feel of japanese art rather than an anglicised version, really superb sensitive artwork.. Probably from a series of twelve, all have the same pattern number (Mintons Ltd used one number per series/colourway) others have seen decorated in colour which were probably tinted prints but it's been a while and I can't recall. These precious metal tiles are certainly hand painted, no evidence or possibility of a print with the sensitivity of the gilt lines little more than a hair's breadth. Platinum of course has the metallic appearance of silver, the catalogue descibes similarly decorated tiles as gold and silver but silver would oxidise in the atmosphere. Platinum hadn't found many uses in the late 19thC, a by product of the refining of then useful metals like copper and nickel it was probably relatively inexpensive compared to nowadays. It was pretty much unheard of and of course customers seeing the effect would say silver and so it was called. Gilding is usually burnished as decoration, it is left unburnished on things like urn handles but when used to fill in prints or painted decorations it is usually burnished with agate tools. That only works as filling in because without the reflected light it looses it's appeal, slender burnished gilt lines disappear. So this platinum and gold is unburnished that the artwork may be seen and yet still catches the light with brilliance, a kind of silky shine rather than bright metallic shine of polished metal. Quite unique really. And lets not forget the rhodium red, like dragon red, rich and alive it is a fabulous colour. These precious metals are rare in nature and so are highly priced, chemically quite inert they are often used as jewellery. They, especially gold, are not so hardwearing particularly when compared to glaze which is essentially glass or molten sand which is so hard that it is used as abrasive material (sandblasting, glasspaper) so the decoration on such tiles is often subject to wear but this is excellent losses only apprent to the slender gilding in the background.   How the decoration catches the light.   Information Tiles For Sale Contacts Order Information

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