About this piece
back to topA decorative 6-inch Pilkington & Co Lancastrian ruby lustre dust pressed tile depicting a Griffin, circa 1915, impressed with a single ‘P’ to the reverse.
The tile depicts a stylized griffin with extended wings, sharp claws, and long trailing tail plumage.
It showcases a traditional reduction lustre glaze, which leaves metallic oxide deposits on the surface during firing. This creates a shifting, iridescent shimmer varying from copper-orange to gold.
A brilliant piece of British pottery for a collector of historical ceramics.
Pilkington’s Tiles & Pottery Co.
Pilkington’s was established in Clifton Junction, Manchester in 1891 by four members of the Pilkington family. Employing Josiah Wedgwood’s former chemist, William Burton, as company manager, the pottery collaborated with leading British designers including Lewis Foreman Day, Walter Crane and C. F. A. Voysey.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Pilkington’s were one of the leading makers of high-quality tiles and pottery in Britain, rivalling well-known names of the ceramics world such as Maw & Co, Doulton and Minton. Such was Pilkington’s reputation that they were awarded a Royal Warrant in 1913 by George V, trading under the name Pilkington’s Lancastrian Pottery Company.
Examples of Pilkington’s tiles can be found in The British Museum and London’s V&A.
