Tile panel, Morris, William and De Morgan, William Frend, England, 1876
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1876
The architect of Membland Hall in Devon commissioned this sumptuous design for bathroom tiles from William Morris (1834-1896). Morris had the tiles painted in the studios of William de Morgan (1839-1917). Edward Charles Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke, was the builder of Membland Hall. He was a merchant banker. The hall was later demolished. Panel depicting scolling arcanthus leaves on a black background
This panel is one of six surviviing from Membland Hall which was demolished in 1928. Morris & Co. were commissioned to decorate Membland Hall in Devon, by George Devey, architect to the banker E.C. Baring, Baron Revelstoke.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 4
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The squared up pattern and one other panel is at the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, with a note indicating that it was intended for the bathroom. Historical significance: It is the only floral pattern for a tile panel on this scale by Morris.
Presumably its ambitious size (of sixty-six individual tiles) and the need to produce a matching set suggested that he should turn to the better equipped De Morgan fo its production. The design remained on Morris & Co.'s stocklists until 1912-13 and a number of panels, other than the Membland six, are known to have been made. At least one uses De Morgan's own Fulham Pottery tiles.
Far less particular than Morris, De Morgan supplemented his own production by using the Hamworthy tileworks (and other commercial manufacturers in Staffordshire and Shropshire) and the Carter & Co. pottery, also at Poole, to supply blanks for his own lustre- and colour-glaze wares.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Slip-covered and hand-painted in various colours and glazed, on earthenware blanks
- Dimensions
- Height: 1600 mm; Width: 915 mm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Morris, William; De Morgan, William Frend
- Place recorded
- England
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London collection record for this single object (sentences kept verbatim apart from removed sale or rarity wording); how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Candidate id
- vam-O8046
- Museum object name
- Tile panel
- Holding institution
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Museum object number
- C.36-1972
- Museum system number
- O8046
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and dating against a specialist reference; this entry documents one recorded example.