A most amazing group of tiles from Wedgwood
including the richest colours I have seen on a
tinted print. Apparently a salesman or showroom
group for each has handling marks but no signs
of wear from typical usages. Possibly salesman's
samples or from a distributor's display, maybe
even from the Wedgwood factory itself.
The pattern, number T349, is well known but
prior to this group I have only seen in the bare
print, one of which on a sage and speckled
Marsden's patent impressed blank. Three of these
have rarely seen unmarked blanks, the other with
a slightly more common embossed letter B. The
patterned tiles have a barely decipherable
number written in clear glaze, the green
completely unmarked and the brown marked with a
number and choc on white again in a clear glaze.
The painted tiles have also the typical painted
pattern number.
The clear glaze marks are rather curious
seemingly deliberately obscure, it is possible
that the numbers are those of the print colours
but why applied in clear glaze? It may just
simply be that was what was convenient but
otherwise for only those in the know. That none
bears the embossed Wedgwood name perhaps
indicates they were intended for a distributor
who preferred not to have manufacturers name
shown but may have been standard practice for
that same reason. The only Wedgwood designs that
consistently bear the maker's name are the well
known and easily recognised picture series and
the stencilled on sage clay bodies, the majority
of ordinary patterns are not named evn though
they may bear pattern and design registration
numbers and even the occasional pattern
name.
Each tile has chips to the rim, most on the
brighter coloured tiles, the surfaces are
perfect. Framed all but the top corner chip on
the brightest tile would be unseen. Versos are
rather grubby from much handling.
