Fig. 277.—Minton, Hollins & Co.’s Tiles, Philadelphia Exhibition.
Others have their patterns painted by hand on the flat surface, by skilled artists; and others, again, are transfer-printed, or a combination of printing and painting. Some form a more or less rich diaper, and others are separate or continuous patterns, while others again form borders of more than usual elegance.
Fig. 278.
Among special patterns may be named a series of masterly designs of Morning, Noon, Evening, and Night, represented by well-conceived figures in blue on a black ground; a series of emblematic designs of the Seasons, printed in chocolate or other monochrome on the white or buff surface; and a series of allegorical, mythological, and fabulous subjects, each treated in the same admirable manner. The body of some is of fine white earthenware, very hard and durable, and others are buff, grey, or cream-coloured, and in each of these bodies the tiles are produced of many patterns and of every degree of finish.
Figs. 279 to 281.—Minton, Hollins & Co.’s Tiles.
Fig. 282.—Mosaic and Alabaster Reredos by Minton, Hollins & Co., Philadelphia Exhibition.
The geometric or tesselated pavements are of every conceivable variety; the tiles composing them being made of different forms and of all shades of colour, but all produced with the utmost mechanical nicety so as to “fit” in ever-changing variety. A notable feature in the tiles of this firm is the richness, the clearness, and the purity of the colours and the excellence of the glaze; these features, added to faultless quality of body, to high-class artistic treatment of patterns, and to excellence of mechanical workmanship, place them high in estimation. Messrs. Hollins were very extensive exhibitors at the Philadelphia Exhibition, 1876, and their productions excited great interest and admiration. One of their main attractions was a lovely chimney-piece composed of tiles exquisitely painted with humming birds, &c., and over it a lovely painting of a mother and her children executed with perfect artistic taste and feeling on thirty tiles; this great achievement in ceramics is shown on Fig. [277]. Another notable exhibit was a reredos in mosaic (Fig. [282]), and in mosaic also was a fine head of Washington. The rest of their exhibits consisted of every possible variety of tiles, and all of equal excellence. The marks used are “Minton Hollins & Co. Patent Tile Works, Stoke on Trent”; “Minton & Co. Patent, Stoke on Trent”; “Minton Hollins & Co. Stoke on Trent”; “M. H. & Co.,” &c., at the back of the tiles.