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.

• 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.

• Cultural Context

  Wall tile.

• 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.

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• Type of Item tile
• Culture English
• Material clay, paint, glaze
• Manufacturing Technique dust-pressed, transfer-printed, hand-painted
• Measurements height 15.6 cm, width 15.6 cm, depth 1.0 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner Judith Stoffman
• Received from Judith Stoffman

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• Made in United Kingdom, England

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• Creation Date between 1860 and 1900
• Ownership Date before October 30, 2019
• Acquisition Date on October 30, 2019

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• Item Classes ceramics
• Condition good
• Accession Number 3401/0029