Important 'Acanthus' Tile Panel, designed 1876

The design for this panel was originally produced for the bathroom of Membland Hall in Devon when William Morris was commissioned by George Devey, architect to the banker E.C. Baring, Baron Revelstoke, in 1876. The tiles were manufactured by William De Morgan, hand-painted and glazed on earthenware blanks produced by the Architectural Pottery Company in Poole, Dorset. The sixty-six tiles depict scrolling acanthus leaves against a foliate background of daisies. Only six panels are known to have survived from Membland Hall which was demolished in 1928. The design was very popular and remained on Morris & Co.'s stocklist until 1913 and was used as inspiration for other designs in a variety of mediums including wallpaper and textiles. Other sets of these tile panels can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc. no. C.36-1972), the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln (E04941), and the William Morris Gallery, Walthamstow, London (C176) which also has the original drawing for this design (cat. no. A31).