Tile Item Number: 3401/40 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Square ceramic tile with floral motif painted on front. Surface is glazed. Background painted cream. Front of tile entirely covered in white flowers, with pale yellow centres, on dark yellow branches. Branches have offshoots with dark yellow and dark green leaves. Seven horizontal ridges on back of tile. Inscriptions stamped in between the ridges. White sticker on back with manufacturer's name, Sherwin & Cotton.
Cultural Context
Wall tile.
Iconographic Meaning
Likely depicting persimmon, borrowed from Chinese ceramics where it a common theme that symbolizes joy. Registration mark on the back indicates the design was copyrighted December 24th, 1879.
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. Colours were filled in by hand.
Item History
- Made by Sherwin & Cotton (Manufacturer) in United Kingdom and Staffordshire, England during 1879
- Owned by Judith Stoffman before October 30, 2019
- Received from Judith Stoffman (Donor) on October 30, 2019
What
- Name
- Tile
- Identification Number
- 3401/40
- 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 1.2 cm
Who
- Culture
- English
- Creator
- Sherwin & Cotton (Manufacturer)
- Previous Owner
- Judith Stoffman
- Received from
- Judith Stoffman (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- United Kingdom and Staffordshire, England
When
- Creation Date
- during 1879
- Ownership Date
- before October 30, 2019
- Acquisition Date
- on October 30, 2019
Other
- Item Classes
- ceramics
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 3401/0040