Tiny chip and flakes top right corner, some
slight roughness to the very tip of the rim,
surface is perfect and brilliantly glazed. Style:
Conventionalised floral Adding to the rarity is that the initials LFD
are hidden in the background, they would not be
hidden if the background had been coloured but I
have yet to see this design with a coloured
ground. I suspect it was just a few early
examples that have the initials and they were
subsequently removed for the design is found
without them. Manufacturers only add artists'
identification to wares if they believe it will
increase the marketability for an artist's
identification dilutes the brand. Also if noted
artists are always acknowledged when there is no
identification consumers know it is a design by
a not famous name depressing its saleability.
Once an artist is associated with a manufacturer
consumers will speculate that the designs are by
someone famous whereas they are likely by an
unknown in-house designer at the company, such
speculation carries on through the ages as we
well known from 'optimistic' attributions by
dealers, auctioneers and collectors alike. When trying to understand conventionalised
floral consider still-lifes which are a group of
natural objects arranged in a manner to the
artist's taste, conventionalised designs are
similar but of a single flower or plant arranged
by the designer to adorn the object being
decorated. Too literal adherence to nature can
produce unbalanced designs as with the Tulip
Tree flower also by Day and registered at
the same time as this. In the book on Day it is
shown in the wrong orientation around such is
the difficulty to grasp the concept, it is very
often described as art nouveau yet predates
mass-produced products in the style and is
barely even conventionalised being almost
photorealistic of the actual flower in
nature. Verso clear of adhesive but a little grubby,
embossed P in opposing corners and design
registration number, pattern number in pencil -
a boon for the enthusiastic Pilkington collector
building a list of patterns and dates.
Condition:
Excellent
Price: £240 (approx. $326)
Stock number: 06892
Technique: Embossed majolica
Designer: Lewis Foreman Day
Maker:
Pilkington
Dimensions:
6" x 6"
Date: 1895
(registered)
This is rather rare tile, the first
recorded design for Pilkingtons by Lewis Day
registered in 1895. A bold floral design
asymmetric but well balanced and that sits well
on and fills the tile. This and two other
designs by Day registered at the same time oft
described as art nouveau but he famously loathed
the style, this a true to nature design.
One can just make out the initials in this
image, with the tile in hand one can tilt it to
catch the light and see more clearly.
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