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Tile
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Tile by William Godwin and Son, Lugwardine, Herefordshire, c.1870 - 1880. The design of this tile, made by the W. Godwin factory of Lugwardine, Hereford, has been associated with the great Victorian designer Dr. Christopher Dresser (1834-1904). The Godwin factory in Hereford began making mediaeval style encaustic tiles in the 1850’s to supply the demand for tiles to replace missing or broken originals in church interiors. During this period many churches were undergoing restoration and there was a market for these reproduction tiles. There was also an additional market in the new Gothic Revival buildings constructed in the latter part of the nineteenth century by architects such as A.W. Pugin and Sir George Gilbert Scott. Scott used Godwin tiles in the restoration of Hereford Cathedral in 1857. Later on the styles and manufacture developed (with dust-pressed tiles) and the industry expanded to serve the domestic market as well. This fish tile design is more suitable for a domestic decorative context. This fish (carp) and water lily pattern design is described as ‘Dresser-style’. Although there is no documentary proof that Christopher Dresser produced design work for Godwins, he did design tiles for Minton and the Linthorpe art pottery. This design shows a strong influence of Japanese style. Dresser visited Japan and was greatly inspired by the objects and designs he saw there. The fish and water lily pattern are treated as a ‘flat’ design, which was typical of Dresser; he disapproved of more realistic three-dimensional-looking designs. The style of this tile is rather different from the stock products of Godwins at the time, and is more likely to have come from an outside designer. Originally a botanist, Dresser continued his interest in plants when he turned his attention to design work. His designs often feature stylised plant forms and, as in this example, animal forms too. He was a contemporary of William Morris but, unlike Morris, his designs were mainly for large-scale manufacture, where ease of construction and economy in materials was as important as the pattern design.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | 1989-19/18 |
| Date | 1870 - 1880 |
| Period | Victorian |
| Collection | Decorative Art |
| Technique | Dust-pressed |
| Material | Clay |
| Creator | Godwin Tile Company |
| Name | Godwin Tile Company |
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