Advanced Search
Advanced Search
View: Interior

Bowl

Designed by: William de Morgan (English, 1839–1917)
Decorated by: Fred Passenger (active 1879–1933)
Made by: Sand's End Pottery workshop (1888–about 1911)
English (London)
about 1890
Object Place: Europe, England

Medium/Technique Tin-glazed earthenware with blue enamel and luster decoration
Dimensions Overall: 13.3cm (5 1/4in.)
Other (Overall): 41.5cm (16 5/16in.)
Credit Line Gift of John H.J. Lewis, Esquire
Accession Number1994.115
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsCeramicsPotteryEarthenware
De Morgan began his career as a painter and stained-glass artist. Like many members of the Arts and Crafts Movement, he was particularly interested in both the artistic and technical aspects of decoration. He experimented with different glazes on ceramics and developed a series of metallic-luster glazes, enamel colors, and decorative motifs inspired by Islamic pottery. This bowl is decorated with De Morgan's renowned Moonlight and Sunlight lusters, achieved by firing copper and silver oxides.

DescriptionDeep bowl with small foot and wide flange. Blue enamel decoration underneath the lustre decoration. Rosette and sunburst pattern in center of bowl surrounded by repeated eagle and stylized palmette and scroll decoration. Underside of rim decorated with repeated curved stripes in reserve, underside of bowl has scroll pattern in reserve, on a gold luster background.
InscriptionsMarks: in gold luster on underside of foot: W.DE.MORGAN./FULHAM./F.P.
ProvenanceBy February 1994, with the Fine Art Society, London, England; April 1994, sold by the Fine Art Society to John H. J. Lewis, Esq., London, England; 1994, gift of John H. J. Lewis to the MFA. (Accession date: May 25, 1994)