Square ceramic tile painted cream with black and grey designs overtop. Surface is glazed. Quarter circles in corners with floral motifs inside them. Grey band around edges, lined in black. Stylized triangles attached to grey bands, pointing towards centre of tile. Central design of a circular fan depicting a woman on a balcony, overlooking the ocean. The woman is waving a handkerchief at ships, wearing a long, draping robe. Her black hair is pinned up. In the background, behind the fan, are branches with cherry blossoms. Raised grid across entire back of tile.

• Iconographic Meaning

  The tile shows Japanese influence, incorporating Japanese iconography, a trend that was popular in Victorian tiles at the time. The background shows 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.

• Cultural Context

  Wall tile.

---

• Type of Item tile
• Culture English
• Material clay, paint, glaze
• Manufacturing Technique dust-pressed, transfer-printed
• Measurements height 15.3 cm, width 15.3 cm, depth 1.2 cm (overall)

---

• Previous Owner Judith Stoffman
• Received from Judith Stoffman

---

• Made in United Kingdom, England

---

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

---

• Item Classes ceramics
• Condition good
• Accession Number 3401/0026