English Arts and Crafts Tile
Tile, Tales, Textiles
Tile Sets, Panels, and Murals Based on the Designs of William Morris, William De Morgan, and Morris & Co.
New Glasgow Arts and Crafts:
Jessie M. King tile mural
Morris's Quandary
Art is the most spiritual and the most revolutionary of enterprises. Morris's quandary was this: He espoused medieval craftsman values and at the same time, long before his socialist years, sought to improve the quality of life and make art available for all people. He improved upon the medieval tilemaking process, developing better methods and dyes, while providing a good wage and exemplary working conditions for his time. We've improved on his methods further with advances of our time, but the values endure. Each tile is created individually, handled individually with attention and care. We make:
We don't stock anything. We make it for you. We think Morris would approve.
William Morris
Morris & Co. Reproduction Tile
Arts and Crafts Designs by William Morris, Kate Faulkner, William De Morgan and 'Firm' principals
Tile was one of the earliest media that William Morris explored with Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and other members of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. Tiles imported from Holland were painted by Morris himself, as well as others in the Morris & Co. circle. Many of these original tile designs later made their way to implementations in stained glass and textiles.
William De Morgan Reproduction Tile
De Morgan Victorian Tile Designs:
William De Morgan met William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones when he was 24. He became a close friend of both men, initially implementing Morris's designs for Morris & Co. in stained glass and tile. He went on to become one of the chief designers of stained glass and tile for The Firm and eventually took over the tile production for the company. His designs were sold by Morris & Co. for many years.
Early Arts and Crafts: Red House Designs
Burne-Jones and Morris had already created one-of-a-kind furnture for their shared bachelor lodgings in London, but it was in the decorating of Red House that the Arts and Crafts movement was born. Morris was incredibly in love with the 19-year-old Jane Burden and commissioned his friend, architect Philip Webb, to design Red House as their first married home. Morris oversaw every detail. Finding the furnishings in the shops to be lacking, Morris, Burne-Jones, Rossetti, and friends took up the task of decorating Red House themselves, designing furniture, tapestries, murals, and tile with loving attention to detail. These tiles are based on the decorative arts of Red House:
- William Morris, Jane Burden Morris
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Morris & Co. Designs
Not true reproduction tiles, these designs are based William Morris wallpaper, tapestries, and stained glass. Some are William De Morgan designs after leaving Morris & Co.
These tiles are adaptations of stained glass, textile, tapestry, and wallpaper designs. The ceramic and porcelain tiles are truer to the original Morris design. The marble tiles focus on a design element while allowing the natural beauty of the stone to come through.
PreRaphaelite Art Tile:
Morris and Co. designs often were created for one medium and then adapted and modified for another. Many designs were first implemented as tile and later in stained glass or as paintings on canvas or furniture.
- Sir Edward Burne-Jones
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Limited Edition Tiles and Mosaics:
When craft transcends itself to become art, we offer one-of-a-kind inspirations and limited edition tiles made in both traditional and modern methods. We also have a relationship with ceramic artist, Daryl Yodis, and will occasionally offer her original work with designs based on Arts and Crafts motifs.
English Arts and Crafts Themes:
Classical mythology, fairy tales, and medieval themes were favorite subjects for William Morris, Burne-Jones, Rossetti and the PreRaphaelites. Morris translated the Icelandic Eddas, built his first married home, Red House, along the Pilgrims Path from Chaucer, and some claim his best work was Defence of Guinevere.
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