Tiles

1980? "The Fox and the Grapes" Tile. 6" square. Mosaic. Made in the USA. Unknown source. This fox sits back with his chin in his paw, contemplating grapes on a vine that looks curiously as though it spells out a word (Cuzes?). Lovely two-color work!

2000? Three souvenir tiles from the (former) restaurant "Reinaert" in Sint Niklaas Waas, Belgium. Artist FVI. 4.25" square. Hinged for hanging. Made in Belgium: Décor Naniot, Antwerp. Unknown source. The three tiles come from a restaurant that in 2012 apparently became "Het Wijnhuis." While only one of the three pictures a fable scene, I am happy to include those celebrating Renard in two of his major moments, with his victim rabbit and with his supposed pilgrimage companion FG Reynard sits with Cuwart the hare, messenger from the King, before inviting him in. He will give him to his family as food and send his head back to the king! After his outrageous handling of Cuwart, Reynard is warned by his relative Grymbart the badger, that things are negative at the court. Reynard had pledged to go to Rome as a pilgrim and still wears his pilgrim outfit. Reynard will of course always prevail in the end!

2000? Minton Replica Mini-Tiles. .5" square. Original set of 6 plus a duplicate set. Unknown source. These sets have experienced disintegration because the tiles are brittle. And they are so small! Four pairs remain intact, and a fifth single is still almost all there. Perhaps meant for a doll house?

1860? Framed Tile of WC. Stoke on Trent: Minton Hollins & C Patent Tile Works. Unknown source. This rendition of Samuel Howitt's WC from 1811 is very dark. The tile is loose in the frame. It was fascinating to piece together the printing on the "waffle" back of the tile. I am surprised that we have not yet found other such Minton tiles.

Around the second-floor fireplace in Cole Cottage, on the grounds of Nashotah House in Nashotah, WI, there are 13 tiles of fables. These photographs of them are a gift of Linda Schlafer: 1. DS 2. "The Fox and the Goat" (repeated) 3. WL (repeated) 4. TH (repeated) 5. LM 6. FK 7. FC 8. "The Lion in Partnership" 9. FS 10. "The Tortoise and the Eagle"

1875? Six-inch square tile titled "The Tortoise Which Wished To Learn To Fly." Manufactured by Minton's China Works, Stoke on Trent. Designed by John Moyr Smith. $86 from Artifacts Gallery and Custom Framing, Trenton, NJ, through Ebay, March, '99. This is my first of Minton's series of twelve. Lovely brown and cream colors. The title is read in curious fashion, starting from nine o'clock and reading toward three o'clock, and then restarting from eight and reading toward four. The eagle looks serious and gruff, while the tortoise has his neck extended. Other birds fly elsewhere in the sky. The seller identifies the style as early Arts and Crafts.

1875? Six-inch square tile titled "The Wolf and the Crane." Manufactured by Mintons China Works, Stoke on Trent. Designed by John Moyr Smith. Unknown source. In this lively scene, the two characters' forms fill out over 50% of the circle's circumference. Can we see in their faces the diligence of the crane and the (temporary) submissiveness of the wolf? Lovely brown and cream colors. The title is read in curious fashion, starting from nine o'clock and reading toward three o'clock, and then restarting from eight and reading toward four. In the upper left and lower right, one needs to read going up; the key is to start as far left as possible and always move right.

1875? Six-inch square tile titled "The Fox & the Goat in the Well." Manufactured by Mintons China Works, Stoke on Trent. Designed by John Moyr Smith. Unknown source. In this lively scene, can we see in their faces the arrogance of the fox and the ignorance ofthe goat? Lovely brown and cream colors. The title is read in curious fashion, starting from nine o'clock and reading toward three o'clock, and then restarting from eight and reading toward four. In the upper left and lower right, one needs to read going up; the key is to start as far left as possible and always move right.

1870 Series of Three Brown Tiles. Minton Hollins Co. Patent Tile Works, Stoke on Trent. No. 2 RCW. $150 each from an unknown source. These three tiles are clearly in a series. A curious feature is that two of them have lettering on the back at a 90 degree angle from the image on the front. The lettering on the back of these tiles is clear. Two are in excellent condition, while one (The Sow and the Fox) has a chip off one corner. The Hound and the Hunter The illustration here seems to accord with a portion of Bewick's for the same fable. Other illustrators include the prey that the old dog is no longer able to hunt as once. The image here is identical with that on a colored Minton tile in our collection for which we have estimated a date of 1880. The Wolf and the Sow The pose of the wolf here is noteworthy. He leans into the pen as though he is concerned and eager to help. The artist emphasizes the sow's size and her udders. The wolf is offering help, sometimes identified as midwife or medical or baby-sitting help. The sow responds that he can best help by leaving. Watch out for an enemy offering help! The Boar and the Fox The artist's boar may be less successful than some of his other objects. He seems not presently to be sharpening his tusks. The fox, on the other hand, is a good representation of the curious bystander at a bit of safe distance. The time to sharpen tusks is not during battle but before.

1950? Circular Withersdale Ceramic Tile of WC. John Cutting. Number 8 in a series of 12. With certificate of authenticity on the verso. Tile is 6" in diameter, frame 9.5". Unknown source and date of acquisition. The pattern, here nicely colored, is exactly the same – down to the written title – as on the member of the 10 John Cutting Original Tiles already in the collection. Might the certificate of authority mark this as a special tile?

1900? Five 6" square tiles of fable scenes from Walter Crane's Baby's Own Aesop. Manufactured by the Mosaic Tile Company in Zanesville, Ohio. $130 for MSA from Blue Boar Antiques at Baltimore Antiquarian Fair, Aug., '91. "Peacock's Complaint" for $98 from Eauctionz, Ontario, NY, through Ebay, Oct., '99. The other three for $49.99 each from Eauctionz at the same time.

2023? Shapeshifter wooden and paper tiles of "Baby's Own Aesop." 12 pieces. About 1¾" square. $10.43 from ShapeShifterUK, London, through Etsy, April, '23. Now here is something different. Paper facsimiles of Walter Crane's illustrations in "Baby's Own Aesop" are glued onto original wooden backings 45 mm square. Well done! We show them here in threes.