Tile Item Number: 3401/29 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Square ceramic tile with floral motif painted on front. Surface and sides are glazed. Background painted black through precise cross-hatching. Front of tile covered entirely in light blue cherry blossoms, darkening towards the petal edges, on white branches. Six horizontal ridges on back of tile. Inscription on back.
Cultural Context
Wall tile.
Iconographic Meaning
The tile is Japanese influenced, incorporating Japanese iconography, a trend that was popular in Victorian tiles at the time. It is likely depicting cherry blossoms, a Japanese national emblem.
Specific Techniques
Tile was manufactured by dust-pressing, a technique that uses clay milled to a fine powder with low moisture content, then pressed in a die at high pressure. The design was transfer-printed, a technique in which an image from an engraved plate is transferred to a tile, usually, requiring transfer paper to be run through a printing press with the engraved plate to pick up the ink, the design from the transfer paper could then be rubbed onto the tile. The blue of the petals was painted on by hand.
Item History
- Made in United Kingdom and England between 1860 and 1900
- Owned by Judith Stoffman before October 30, 2019
- Received from Judith Stoffman (Donor) on October 30, 2019
What
- Name
- Tile
- Identification Number
- 3401/29
- Type of Item
- tile
- Material
- clay, paint and glaze
- Manufacturing Technique
- dust-pressed, transfer-printed and hand-painted
- Overall
- height 15.6 cm, width 15.6 cm, depth 1.0 cm
Who
- Culture
- English
- Previous Owner
- Judith Stoffman
- Received from
- Judith Stoffman (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- United Kingdom and England
When
- Creation Date
- between 1860 and 1900
- Ownership Date
- before October 30, 2019
- Acquisition Date
- on October 30, 2019
Other
- Item Classes
- ceramics
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 3401/0029