Dr. Christopher Dresser did create a few tile designs
for Minton & Co., records have been discovered in the
Minton archive. It is with great thanks to Harry Lyons
that I am able to bring this to the attention of visitors
to this website, thanks for taking the time, trouble and
associated expenses in doing proper research. There are
hordes of armchair researchers believing they have
discovered something via Google and then distorting it to
suit their preconceptions but most real research is done
with physical objects, records and wares. It can be
frustrating spending hours and days searching archives in
museums and libraries always hopeful but often coming up
empty, thankfully from time to time gems of data are
discovered, answers to questions, links etc. that make
the effort worthwhile.
There are two groups of designs by Dresser recorded in
the Minton Archives that include tiles, a group of 22 by
Doctor Dresser and a line entry for two designs by C
Dresser. Amidst the group of 22 coloured drawings nos.
G83 to G104 there is "92, Design for a 9 in tile
Butterflies at the corners", "101, 9 in tile, Buff and
Black" and "102, 9 in tile Buff Black + Blue Green". On a
page entitled Gothic Ornaments there are "2, Water Colour
Drawings, Plant forms for tiles, S36 to S37".
Following on from G92 in the list of 22 are G93
and G94 (of course!) both are interesting because they
commence with the abbreviation for ditto. G93 is 'Do. for
a tea cup and saucer conventional flowers and leaves' and
G94 is 'Do. Breakfast cup and saucer, 4 varieties'. The
use of Do. (ditto) suggests that the tile and cups and
saucers are matching for ditto is not often seen in the
pattern book.
G103 is "small flat circular vase with bird", I wonder
if this may be the famous Dresser crane and Kanagawa wave
'flowerpot' design.
The pattern numbers give clues to the manufacturing
including dates, materials and purpose. The G series
pattern numbers according to Joan Jones are, "richly
decorated china tableware", the numbers in question date
from 1868. The unique characteristic of china is that it
is translucent so china tiles would not be made for
fixing to walls but to match tableware perhaps integrated
in to pot stands, jardinieres, lamps and so on.
S prefix pattern numbers are for Minton's studio, of
those listed on the sheet, S1 to S45, only S27 appears on
the list in Joan Jones, maybe this document eluded Joan
Jones when she compiled the list. These pattern numbers
will be from 1871, it should be noted that according to
the records in Jones no tiles were produced in the
studio's first two years, but many plaques.
S27 on Jones' list is 'Pilgrim flask, large,
bird,/branch on orange ground' so maybe the branch is
from Dresser's drawing. I do find the record keeper's
construct 'plant forms for tiles' interesting for I have
never seen it before, plant forms are generally plant
forms for use wherever and rarely carry suggestions of
uses. Tiles are usually patterns for walls and patterns
are similar to wallpaper, anaglypta, lincrusta and so on,
patterns on wallpaper are often the same as fabrics for
curtains etc. and so it goes. Suggestion for use is
limited to borders (of course), specific shapes such as
book cover showing both front and spine, lock plate,
spandrel etc.. Very few tiles were used in fireplaces
prior to 1877 and then mostly in grander homes, the
familiar cast iron fireplaces with tiled cheeks are
almost all post 1880.
Maybe the design was square and the record keeper
though it clearer to describe as tile but it would be
atypical for an artist to limit the use of a plant form
by suggesting a use. Below are plant forms, square and
round, one could say tile and plate but then a wood
carver might not use the square and a potter not use the
round on a pilgrim flask.
From Studies in Plant Form
and Design
|
Mintons did not make 9" architectural tiles I have
however seen one group of nine inch tiles from Minton's
Kensington Studio, a set of four seasons in blue and
white on handmade bodies, a good bright white clay
perhaps semi-porcelain, the studio may even have
described them as plaques.
So we have brief descriptions of three tiles and note
of an unknown numbers of plant forms contained in two
drawings, none of these can be attached to known designs.
The role of the record keeper was to give each design an
identifying number, the brief description was to assist
the painter, engraver etc. when looking for the design,
the brief descriptions do little help to us and were not
intended to.
G92 at least is descriptive in that the motifs and
their positions are stated, G101 and G102 convey zero
information about the designs solely about colours and
dimensions. Dresser often remarked on colours and
dimensions but pure design should work in many colourways
and in many scales according to the environment. Given
that the scale is known the designs being china and
therefore for tablewares the specification of dimensions
is understandable, they would be large the diagonal at
more than twelve inches being larger than the diameter of
a dinner plate. The specification of the colours I find
less understandable from a design viewpoint but there are
many designs which are difficult to describe in half a
dozen words so the record keeper likely simply wrote what
was obvious.
Buff and black china, well that's a pretty bold
statement, could be rather difficult to find a market for
it. Possibly tiles for a jardiniere echoing encaustic
tiles in gothic style but still it seems the market for
such on the dining table is insignificant. Similar can be
said for the 'Buff Black + Blue Green' whilst we know not
what the shades of blue and green were I would suggest
rather formal if to coordinate with black and buff. I
think it is highly likely these designs were never put in
to production in their original specification though of
course designs were regularly modified to suit production
constraints and popular taste so some variants may have
appeared. We also well know that designs for tableware
were used on tiles especially by established potters
notably Mintons and Wedgwood.
Turning to S36 and S37, gothic plant forms originating
in 1871. Firstly we do not know how many designs there
were, it is usual for there to be multiple designs per
sheet, perhaps a dozen or even more. Secondly it is
difficult to believe that there were any unique gothic
plant form designs in 1871 the style having existed for
six hundred years and having many revivals and
resurgences along the way and the motifs having simple
form. There were also dozens of volumes filled with plant
form designs for source material for artists, students
and designers including one appositely titled Plant Form
and Design. Any artist or designer worth their salt
published such books, Dresser, Crane, Day and so on not
that the books made much if any money but it was en
essential part of establishing a brand, the name in print
made designs more valuable.
I would love to see these designs, maybe a Minton's
china specialist recognises the china tiles from the
colours and dimensions, I don't hold out much hope of
seeing the plant forms because without the original
artwork speculation is worse than useless.
And we still are without evidence for wall tiles,
earthenware tiles or architectural tiles in the wider
sense being designed by Christopher Dresser. The
underlying argument remains sound, such was the province
of architects and Dresser was not an architect.
21 July 2021
