Tile

Date1775-1800

MediumTin-glazed earthenware (delft / delftware)

Dimensions5 1/8" square

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1989-185

DescriptionSquare tile with canted sides. Whitish tin glaze decorated in polychrome with a strawberry plant, the fruit in pale manganese and the leaves in yellow-green over blue; a leafy design with a small strawberry at each corner. On the back, the number 1856 in black.
Label TextThe number on the back may be a lot number or, if it was added later, an accession number. Two other published tiles have this pattern. Strawberries became a popular motif on ceramics toward the end of the eighteenth century, and many pieces of pearlware and whiteware dating well into the next century feature these plants. The Liverpool attribution is based on the color of the decoration. The tile is thin and evenly rolled, which suggests the late date.
InscribedOn the back, the number 1856 in black.
MarkingsNone
ProvenanceJonathan Horne (Antiques) Ltd., London